As the next presidential election looms, scheduled theoretically in 18 months, the opposition in Cameroon is navigating strategic maneuvers. While some advocate rallying directly behind Maurice Kamto, whom they see as having the best credentials, others favor a more inclusive and consensus-driven approach, suggesting the possibility of primaries to determine the opposition candidate.
Two coalitions have already taken shape. The first is the Political Alliance for Change (APC), announced last December during the latest convention of the MRC. Its candidate is none other than Maurice Kamto. A key supporter of this emerging coalition is the Front for Change Cameroon, led by the lawmaker and SDF defector, Jean-Michel Nintcheu. For Nintcheu, there is no need to hesitate in choosing the opposition candidate with the best chance of defeating the RDPC candidate. In his view, Maurice Kamto is the figure around whom the rest of the opposition aspiring for change should unite.
In contrast to this alliance, another has recently emerged – the Political Alliance for Transition (APT), spearheaded by Olivier Bile, a candidate rejected in the 2018 presidential election. APT is concurrently engaging in consultations with various figures from the opposition and civil society.
Both alliances are essentially courting the same political entities and figures from the opposition and civil society. One of the most sought-after figures is Cabral Libii, a deputy and president of the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation, who officially secured the third position in the last presidential election.
Both alliances seem to consider his alignment a crucial objective. Although invited by the APC to support Maurice Kamto, Cabral Libii is taking his time and has not yet responded. Nevertheless, he has hinted at being open to alternative methods for selecting the opposition candidate, criticizing the idea of an “imposed” providential candidacy over other leaders. It’s safe to say that the road toward a consensus opposition candidate is still lengthy.