Few days ahead of the official announcement of the October 12 presidential election results in Cameroun , Camerounian refugees in Calabar, Cross River State, have urged President Paul Biya to concede defeat to the opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary.
Speaking in Calabar with our reporter, several Cameroonian citizens, many of whom fled the Ambazonian insurgency in the country’s South-West since 2014, warned Biya’s handlers to “put Cameroon’s interest above personal ambition” and avert further international embarrassment.
According to them, Biya is hardly aware or in tune with contemporary happenings in their country.
According to one Clemence Nchongo, “now, we have an election where a candidate has clearly defeated Paul Biya. There’s no need to twist the results again. Let Bakary be sworn in after 43 years for the sake of change.”
The refugees, whose population in Calabar has grown significantly in recent years, alleged that Biya no longer governs directly and that a cabal has been manipulating state processes in his name.
They called on the electoral body in Cameroon and the constitutional council to validate the presidential election results in the nation’s interest.
Another respondent, Frances Clemence, estimated that Cameroonian nationals in Cross River State could number over 2,000, stressing that “the people’s will must be respected.”
However, the Cameroonian government has maintained that only the constitutional council has authority to declare a winner and warned that premature victory claims could amount to high treason.
In Ikom, in central Cross River State, two other respondents, Denise Yawun and Marie Ntui, criticised what they called “France-controlled governance” in Cameroon.
Read also:
- World’s oldest President, Paul Biya, eyes 8th term in Cameroon’s election despite age, health concerns
- President Paul Biya’s prolong absence fuels death rumors in Cameroon
- Gen. Musa only foreign dignitary at Cameroon’s independence anniversary
They expressed relief that they could now voice their opinions freely from Nigeria.
“We need a new president. Biya never campaigned; he’s too old and has been confined abroad. Let’s move away from this political prison,” said Marie.
“Bakary has won. They should swear him in and let Cameroon breathe fresh air.”
Ntui, a teacher, added that rejecting Bakary’s victory could further inflame the separatist conflict.
“Removing Biya is the first step towards ending the Ambazonian armed struggle,” he stated.
The constitutional council is scheduled to release the official results on October 27, 2025.
