Maurice Kamto, Cameroon’s principal opposition figure, formally contested his exclusion from October’s presidential election on 29 July, lodging an appeal with the Constitutional Council, according to Africanews.
This legal challenge follows the electoral commission ELECAM’s decision to bar Kamto from the ballot, a move that has ignited accusations of political manoeuvring to eliminate President Paul Biya’s chief rival.
The electoral body validated only 13 of 83 submitted candidacies, approving 92-year-old President Biya’s bid for an eighth term while rejecting Kamto’s application through the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM).
ELECAM cited internal party contradictions, claiming MANIDEM had registered another candidate from a splinter faction. Kamto’s camp immediately dismissed this justification as legally baseless and politically motivated.
Kamto’s lawyers met the 48-hour appeal window, submitting evidence they believe incontrovertibly supports his eligibility. The Council, recently expanded by Biya with the April appointment of Monique Ouli Ndongo, now faces 35 appeals from rejected candidates and must rule within ten days, finalising the candidate list by 11 August.
The exclusion carries significant political ramifications, given Kamto’s second-place finish with 14% in the disputed 2018 election. His disqualification removes Biya’s most formidable challenger, leaving contenders like Cabral Libii (PCRN), Joshua Osih (SDF), and anti-corruption lawyer Akere Muna to contest the incumbent.
Despite his age and limited public appearances, Biya declared on social media that his determination to serve “matches the urgency of the challenges we face,” responding to what he called “numerous and insistent” calls from supporters. His candidacy proceeds alongside former allies minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, who defected from the ruling coalition.
