October 12 Polls: Prof. Akuhmbom Anthony Calls on Electorate to Unite Behind Issa Tchiroma Bakary

Prof Mac Anthony Akuhmbom, Civil Society Leader.

Professor Mac Anthony Akuhmbom, a civil society advocate and respected cultural anthropologist, has issued a passionate call to Cameroonians to rally behind opposition presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary in the October 12 elections.

In a strongly worded statement circulated on social media Thursday September 25, 2025, Prof. Akuhmbom expressed disappointment that opposition leaders have failed to form a coalition months after calls for unity began in August. 

“We have been waiting for the different opposition candidates to come up with an alliance that will help us unify our votes… but till now there is nothing. The future of our nation doesn’t lie in opposition power but in our hands as a people,” he said.

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 2025 Presidential Candidate.

He warned against voter apathy, describing abstention as a tacit endorsement of the status quo. “If your vote is truly your voice and sacred, then you won’t stay back, because not voting is choosing to perpetuate the regime and that makes you an accomplice,” he argued, urging citizens to treat the upcoming poll as a referendum for change rather than just another presidential contest.

Quoting the Bishop of Yagoua, Prof. Akuhmbom said even “voting for the devil” would be preferable to prolonging what he described as the current regime’s “barbaric practices.” He acknowledged that among the 11 opposition candidates, several have sound programs and leadership qualities, but singled out Issa Tchiroma Bakary as the figure who has managed to inspire popular momentum.

“I have seen hope light up in the hearts of many Cameroonians when his name is mentioned. He might be the ‘devil’ to many, but he stands out and he has given hope again to hopeless people. Logic says Issa Tchiroma Bakary is the popular candidate to align with,” Prof. Akuhmbom declared.

Calling on Cameroonians to rise above party politics, the civil society advocate urged the electorate to make the interest of the nation paramount: “Please, forget about party politics and think of the general good of the nation. We need change, and if we stand with ITK, we are sure to get the desired results.”

As a professor of cultural anthropology and patristic theology, Prof. Akuhmbom has long been a prominent voice for practical democracy, good governance, and citizen engagement. His latest appeal is expected to energize debate within the opposition camp, with just weeks remaining before the vote.