PAD Urges Action Over Cameroon’s Post-Election Crisis

The group notes that eight separate opposition petitions to the Constitutional Court seeking partial or total annulment were summarily dismissed, deepening a legitimacy crisis as the country tips toward confrontation.

PAD points to consistent evidence compiled by local civil society networks: ballot-stuffing, voter suppression, and result-sheet tampering. It highlights the parallel vote tabulation run by Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s campaign and civic groups across 18 districts (≈82% coverage) suggesting Tchiroma ~54.8% to Biya ~31.3% — sharply at odds with the official proclamation returning Paul Biya, 92, to another seven-year term after 43 years in power.

Church leaders have echoed concerns. Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea, President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, said findings from the Justice and Peace Commission documented irregularities that “hinder the country’s democratic path.”

PAD details a fast-deteriorating security climate:

• Arrests and disappearances of opposition figures and civic actors;

• Expansive deployment of the BIR and police amid clashes;

• Internet shutdowns and blocks on VPNs;

• Disinformation campaigns, including fake polling-station results and inflated tallies.

Among those detained or reported taken to military court are Anicet Ekane, Djeukam Tchameni, Aba’a Oyono, and Fabrice Lena, with 100+ arrests cited by rights advocates. PAD also references reports of fatal shootings of Tchiroma supporters outside his residence as crowds formed a human shield against arrest, and claims of assassination attempts on the opposition leader. (Civil society tallies vary; verification remains difficult amid connectivity blackouts.)

At the institutional level, PAD argues that the ruling RDPC’s control of electoral bodies “raises credible doubts about independence and transparency,” noting the earlier bar on Maurice Kamto and the broader closure of civic space.

PAD’s calls to action:

1. International audit of the electoral process and results;

2. Immediate, unconditional release of political detainees;

3. Protection of civil society and independent media;

4. Non-violent resolution framework backed by regional and international partners.

Diplomatically, PAD urges global democrats, journalists, and civil-society organisations to amplify local evidence, resist escalation, and press Yaoundé to respect the popular will. It warns that a hard crackdown could splinter security loyalties and ignite a wider crisis across key commercial hubs — Douala, Garoua, Dschang, Bafoussam, Kousseri, Limbe — already experiencing unrest.

Source: Platform for African Democrats statement (public communiqué).