Cameroon on Fire: Youth Defend Votes Amid ELECAM Scandal

ELECAM Caught Red-Handed in Douala

The spark ignited in Bonamoussadi, Douala 5, where residents intercepted officials from ELECAM allegedly emptying ballot boxes and “cleaning” polling materials behind closed doors. According to ELECAM’s own regional delegation, the confrontation began when a passerby “found employees emptying the urns of their content, including ballots and envelopes,” prompting suspicions of ballot tampering.

Within minutes, moto-taxi riders and local residents gathered outside the ELECAM office, denouncing what they called “a midnight operation to erase the people’s will.” Protesters chanted “Issa Tchiroma Président!” and accused the regime of trying to rewrite results from polling stations where Tchiroma had recorded overwhelming victories.

Witnesses say police reinforcements stormed the scene, arresting 14 moto-taximen and violently dispersing demonstrators. At least one protester was injured in the face and arm. The protest spread through Santa Barbara and Maetur Bonamoussadi, where the population clashed with riot police amid chants of “No more stolen elections!”

When the Prefect of Wouri, Sylac Marie Mvogo, arrived at the site, he sneered at the detained protesters, asking:

“You want to proclaim the results before the Constitutional Council?”

That single phrase, observers say, perfectly captured the regime’s contempt for transparency.

Fraud, Fear, and Resistance

Meanwhile in Garoua, panic has gripped the regime as reports confirm that Atanga Nji’s reinforcements have entered the city. Residents of Marouaré have barricaded the home of President-Elect Issa Tchiroma Bakary, vowing to protect him from any attempt at arrest or intimidation.

“Youths are setting up roadblocks, determined to defend their votes till the last man standing,” a source on the ground told Cameroon Concord.

Political analyst Eric Acha summarized the situation bluntly:

“We are entering a phase where we will truly know those who want change in Cameroon — and those regime agents disguised as opposition. The machines of intimidation will run out of water before the real struggle starts.”

Bafoussam and the Power of the People

In the Western Region, tension remains high as Bafoussam residents continue to mobilize around electoral justice.
The Departmental Commission was forced to publicly release results after thousands gathered outside its offices demanding transparency.

Updated figures show Issa Tchiroma Bakary leading with 79.79%, compared to Paul Biya’s 13% — a humiliating defeat for the ruling CPDM. Citizens chanted “Justice for the Urns!” and celebrated in the streets despite the threat of repression.

In the Bamboutos Division, Tchiroma reportedly defeated Biya by more than 20,000 votes, confirming his dominance across the western highlands. “Original PVs don’t lie,” said a local FSNC representative. “We have the signed, stamped copies. What they show at the ELECAM office is fabrication.”

Even within the CPDM, cracks are widening. A prominent local official, Maurice Tiibam Kube, resigned in protest, describing the official results as “a mathematical miracle of fraud.”

Nation on Edge: From Protest to Movement

As of Tuesday night, protests have erupted in Douala, Dschang, Kousseri, and Garoua, all echoing the same call:
Respect the truth of the ballot box.

In Dschang, the FSNC’s local coordinator reported threats from elites and administrators forcing him to sign falsified procès-verbaux. When residents learned of the intimidation, hundreds stormed the Palais de Justice, demanding the release of the true results.

Across the country, campaign posters of the embattled Paul Biya are being torn down, and symbols of his 43-year rule are crumbling under the weight of public anger.

“For over four decades, the regime has governed through fear,” said a demonstrator in Bonamoussadi. “But today, it is the people who are fearless.”

The End of an Era?

What began as sporadic protests is now turning into a national movement for truth and justice. The regime’s propaganda machine has tried to dismiss the uprisings as “isolated disturbances,” but the scale, coordination, and resolve of the demonstrators suggest otherwise.

As one FSNC official put it from Garoua,

“This is not about politics anymore. It’s about reclaiming dignity.”

The message reverberates from street to street:
Cameroon will no longer be stolen by fraud, fear, and falsehood.

Source: Cameroon Concord Political Desk | Category: Political News