Presidential candidate Ateki Seta Caxton officially began his road to the October 12 polls in Bamenda, where he installed the North West regional coordination team of the Liberal Alliance Party (PAL) and presented himself as the face of a new generation determined to reconcile and rebuild Cameroon.
The homecoming event, held under the coordination of Ntumwi Elvis, PAL’s regional leader, drew party militants, sympathizers, and ordinary citizens eager to hear the message of the 42-year-old reformist politician.
“Bamenda is my home. The blood of this region flows in me,” Ateki declared, stressing that he deliberately chose to launch his campaign in the North West because of his roots in Mbengwi and the scars of the Anglophone crisis.
“I lost my junior brother in this conflict. No family should have to endure this again. The best way to honor those we have lost is to restore peace,” he said to thunderous applause.
Installing PAL’s Regional Pillars
The highlight of the day was the formal installation of PAL’s regional coordination team, tasked with mobilizing grassroots support for the party’s reform agenda across the North West. Ateki described the exercise as the foundation of PAL’s “citizen-led revolution for dignity, prosperity, and peace.”
Addressing the militants, he outlined the role of the regional coordinators as “messengers of hope and renewal,” urging them to channel the frustrations of citizens into constructive action.
A Peace Agenda for the First 100 Days
Ateki announced that if elected, his presidency would begin with decisive symbolic steps to heal national wounds. These include:
Official recognition of the Anglophone problem, immediate release of political prisoners, a national day of mourning for civilians, separatists, and soldiers lost to the crisis, convening of a national reform and dialogue conference.
“We must look at each other as brothers and sisters again,” he said. “Peace cannot be postponed. It is the first task of leadership.”
Breaking with the Past: A Radical Reform Vision
Linking his Bamenda message to the manifesto he unveiled in Yaoundé on August 1, Ateki presented himself as the reformist alternative to Cameroon’s entrenched leadership.
At the heart of his agenda is what he calls Acoloniality, a philosophy of rejecting colonial legacies and building African-centered governance standards.
His manifesto pledges include:
Restructuring the state into a 10-state federal system with elected governors.
Renaming the country “The Great Republic of Cameroon.”
Enforcing asset declarations by all public officials, withdrawing from the IMF and introducing a national currency to achieve economic sovereignty.
“Decades of corruption and mismanagement have crippled us,” he said. “It is time to reset our republic.”
Youth, Jobs, and Economic Renewal
As one of the youngest candidates in the race, Ateki framed his leadership as a generational shift. He condemned the sidelining of youth in governance and pledged to place them at the center of national development.
His flagship Golden Job Hubs initiative aims to create 100,000 jobs by 2030, supported by vocational training, entrepreneurship programs, and an industrial policy focused on manufacturing. He also promised expanded universal healthcare, innovation hubs in health technology, and robust education reforms.
“Young people are not a liability, they are the greatest resource we have,” Ateki told the cheering crowd.
Cultural Revival and Inclusion
Beyond governance reforms, Ateki vowed to elevate Cameroonian culture, expand women’s rights, strengthen sports, and engage the diaspora through dual nationality and an investment fund.
“I am the voice of those whose voices have been silenced for too long,” he declared. “Let us build a nation that belongs to all of us.”
A New Kind of Candidate
As Ateki walked through Bamenda’s Upstation hills, down to Commercial Avenue and City Chemist, residents lined the streets, waving and chanting. The reception, he said, affirmed his belief that Cameroonians are yearning for new leadership.
“Blood is thicker than politics,” he said. “The people have made me a new kind of candidate, one who carries their hope for renewal.”
The Road to October 12
With PAL President His Majesty Celestin Bedzigui calling on citizens to unite across clan and regional divides, Ateki’s message from Bamenda was clear: his candidacy is not just a political contest, but a generational call for transformation.
“The race is not easy,” Ateki concluded, “but together, we can win and birth a new republic.”
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