Cameroon’s political temperature rose sharply this week after Akere Tabeng Muna, former President of the Cameroon Bar Association and ex-President of the Pan-African Lawyers Union, issued a searing denunciation of the country’s October 12 presidential election, calling it “a constitutional coup d’état” and “a betrayal of the Cameroonian people.”
In a statement released on Monday, October 27, Muna, a veteran anti-corruption advocate, founder of the NOW Movement, and one-time presidential candidate, declared that the re-election of President Paul Biya was the result of “a fraudulent process designed to perpetuate a single regime’s grip on power.”
“This is not an electoral result,” Muna wrote. “It is the culmination of a 43-year systemic architecture designed for one purpose: the perpetual retention of power.”
The Constitutional Council’s proclamation of Biya’s victory, Muna said, merely confirmed what he described as a preordained outcome from a “judicial body that has abdicated its role to become nothing more than a rubber stamp of tyranny.”
Allegations of Electoral Fraud
In his statement, Muna pointed to what he termed “mathematically impossible voter turnout figures” and “statistically inconsistent results,” suggesting large-scale manipulation of ballots and vote counts.
Circular by Akere Muna.Despite having withdrawn his candidacy 11 days before the election and officially notifying the electoral commission, ELECAM, through a process server, Barrister Muna said his name and votes still appeared in the final tally.
“How can I believe in results that credit the incumbent President with 86% of the vote in the Northwest region in a context known to all?” he asked, alluding to the ongoing insecurity and low voter participation in that part of the country.
Akere Tabeng Muna characterized the entire electoral process as “a legal fiction,” arguing that the institutions responsible for organizing and supervising elections are “captive instruments” serving the ruling establishment rather than the Constitution or the electorate.
Call for Dialogue and Democratic Transition
Describing the situation as “a crisis of legitimacy,” Muna urged the Cameroonian government to take two immediate steps: the unconditional release of all political prisoners and the initiation of a sovereign national dialogue aimed at creating a framework for “a legitimate democratic transition.”
Circular by Akere Muna.He warned that the government’s continued repression including the arrests of opposition figures following the election risked plunging the nation into deeper unrest.
“The ongoing arrest of opposition leaders is not a sign of strength; it is the act of a regime paralyzed by fear of its own citizens,” Muna stated. “It is an irresponsible provocation that risks plunging our nation into an irreversible crisis.”
Muna also expressed grief for the “precious lives lost since Sunday, October 26,” referring to violent clashes and crackdowns reported in several cities following the disputed vote. “Peace is shattered, and our national unity is fractured beyond measure,” he lamented.
A Voice of Resistance
Known across Africa for his work in governance and transparency including his role as a vice-chair of Transparency International, Akere Muna has long been one of the most prominent voices calling for institutional reform and accountability in Cameroon.
His latest statement, titled “A Betrayed People,” marks one of his most forceful interventions yet in a political landscape dominated for over four decades by President Biya, now 92.
Muna’s words have resonated deeply among segments of civil society and the diaspora, who see in him a credible moral voice at a time of national disillusionment. Yet, in the absence of independent verification mechanisms, his allegations are likely to intensify political polarization and international scrutiny of Cameroon’s electoral process.
Still, Muna remains defiant.
“The Cameroonian people deserve a government of their choice, not a leader imposed by a corrupt and cynical institutional masquerade,” he declared. “The struggle for a legitimate, just, and united Cameroon continues.”
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