Cameroon: Fako CPDM III Crisis, Mayor Ekema 1, Mafany Musonge nil

The turnout was unusual at the Youth Centre in Buea on Thursday March 24th 2016 as hundreds against the usual thousands of militants and well-wishers who often stormed the ceremonial ground to celebrate CPDM party anniversaries-a political party that was midwifed on Sunday March 24th 1985 at the Bamenda Congress Hall.

The current internal wrangling and animosity within the rank and file of the party in Fako III could not stop the event from being outstanding though. All attempts by the Section executive to tarnish the hard earn reputation of the mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick proved futile. The mayor who had earlier joined other VIPs to receive the South West governor upon arrival was asked to quit the protocol line with immediate effect. Mayor Ekema, applying very skillful diplomacy not known of him resisted. 

The Master of Ceremony repeatedly made humiliating calls via the public address system for the mayor to step aside before the arrival of the governor. A highly placed CPDM official from the Limbe sub constituency told Cameroon Concord that all were calculated attempts to downgrade the popularity of the Buea Mayor. It needed the timely intervention of the governor’s chief of Protocol to calm down the boiling tension that was already mounting.

Against all negative expectations, the South West Regional governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai entered the ceremonial ground and saluted the bonafide landlord of the Buea municipality with exceptional smile and handshake that attracted unstoppable applause from the sellout crowd who had braved the poor weather conditions to be a part of the event. Mayor Ekema dished out a colossal sum of 500,000 FRS to the women’s wing (WCPDM) of the party to fine tune their feast.

Cameroon Concord Intelligence Unit understands that this tussle has been going on ever since after the December reorganization exercise. We learnt that the ageing former Prime Minister, Mafany Musonge was involved in a secret harsh plot to neutralise Mola Ekema Patrick and his majority following. Some political commentators have observed that they were at a loss to understand why the Bakweris of Buea whose constituency is dominated by the opposition and whose numerical strength is negligible should embark on such a dangerous kind of politicking.

Members of the ruling CPDM party of the Fako III section used the anniversary to manifest their unflinching support to the Head of State and National Chairman, President Paul Biya.