Professor Maurice Kamto’s announcement that he will not endorse any opposition candidate in Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election is already sending shockwaves through the country’s political landscape, with critics accusing the PAC leader of indirectly throwing his weight behind President Paul Biya.
Kamto, a former CRM leader and attempted 2025 MANIDEM presidential candidate, said Friday that his movement would “leave each voter fully responsible” to vote freely for the candidate of their choice.
While framed as an appeal to conscience, the decision has sparked a wave of backlash from opposition activists, who see it as a veiled surrender.
“Kamto Just Declared for Biya”
For Godden Zama, former SDF District Chairman in Limbe, Kamto’s statement is nothing short of a historic betrayal.
“In making the decision not to support any candidate of the opposition, Kamto unilaterally declares for Paul Biya,” Zama stated categorically. “There is no other way to see this. This is the biggest contemporary betrayal of the opposition in the history of Cameroon arguably comparable to the political betrayals of the 1990s.”
Zama, who revealed that he once declined an invitation from Hon. Jean-Michel Nintcheu to join Kamto’s APC, said Friday’s declaration vindicated his choice.
“Looking back, this is probably the most important political decision I have made in my life,” he said, adding that Kamto’s stance risks eroding public trust in the very idea of opposition politics.
Analysts Say Decision Benefits Ruling Party
Political observers agree that Kamto’s neutrality is likely to favour the ruling CPDM and President Biya, whose long incumbency has historically benefited from a fragmented opposition.
“This move effectively removes Kamto’s significant support base from the opposition camp,” said Dr. Wilfred Ekane, a political analyst based in Douala. “Even if Kamto did not explicitly endorse Biya, refusing to rally behind an opposition candidate in a critical election like this is a tacit greenlight for the status quo.”
Opposition Faces Identity Crisis
Kamto’s announcement also poses a test for the CRM’s survival as a political force, according to critics.
“Whether the CRM survives this or not will determine if Cameroonians are truly committed to change,” Zama argued. “If after such a monumental betrayal the party still commands loyalty, then perhaps Cameroonians have resigned themselves to permanent stagnation.”
With just days to the start of the campaign period, the opposition appears more divided than ever, a scenario many analysts say plays directly into the hands of the ruling party.
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