Cameroon’s opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has dramatically declared himself the winner of the presidential election held on October 12. He informed the BBC that he will not tolerate any outcome other than a fair result, stating his team has meticulously gathered results from individual polling stations, leaving no room for doubt.
Bakary, a 76-year-old former government minister, has challenged the established order, breaking ranks with the incumbent President Paul Biya, who has been in power for 43 years. The ruling CPDM party has dismissed Bakary’s claims as illegal, asserting that only the Constitutional Council has the authority to declare official election results.
Undeterred, Tchiroma Bakary has urged his supporters to stand firm in defending their votes, emphasizing, “We will never accept their votes being stolen by anyone.” He expressed no fear of arrest or imprisonment, confidently stating, “I know that I have already won the presidential election.” In an interview with the BBC, he declared, “There is no doubt, no shadow of doubt whatsoever. My victory is undeniable.”
Bakary contends that the ruling CPDM party is in denial, with “their backs against the wall,” and unable to accept the election’s reality. He challenged them to disprove his claims. He also defended his early victory declaration, asserting that the law does not prohibit such actions.
The delay in announcing the official election results has heightened tensions across Cameroon, raising concerns about potential post-election violence. The nation is already grappling with a separatist conflict in its Anglophone regions and the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North.