The Univers Party has become the latest to formally enter Cameroon’s 2025 presidential race, submitting the candidacy of Barrister Akere Muna to the Election Commission (ELECAM) on Tuesday, July 15. The move places the seasoned lawyer and anti-corruption crusader at the head of a growing coalition of opposition parties aiming to challenge incumbent President Paul Biya’s four-decade hold on power.
Barrister Akere Muna
The candidacy was submitted by the National President of the Univers Party, Professor Prosper Nkou Mvondo, at ELECAM’s Candidate Application Review Commission in Yaoundé. Flanked by representatives from other parties and civil society groups, Nkou Mvondo described Muna as a unifying figure and a credible alternative to the status quo.
“We are not just presenting a candidate, we are offering the country a coalition for national redemption,” he told reporters outside the commission’s headquarters.
This marks Akere Muna’s return to the political spotlight after a quiet but steady mobilisation of forces in the months leading to the 2025 polls. Known for his principled withdrawal in favour of Maurice Kamto in 2018 to avoid opposition fragmentation, Muna has now re-emerged with the backing of a broader alliance that includes smaller but strategic parties across the country.
Prof Nkou Mvondo submitting the candidacy of Akere
Akere Tabeng Muna, born in 1952 in the North West Region, is one of Cameroon’s most recognisable legal and civic figures. A member of the illustrious Muna family his father Solomon Tandeng Muna served as both Prime Minister of West Cameroon and President of the National Assembly, Akere Muna built a formidable legal career both in Cameroon and internationally.
He has served as President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Vice-Chair of Transparency International, and President of the International Anti-Corruption Conference Council. His involvement in exposing corruption in global energy deals, such as the Glencore bribery case, earned him accolades, including Personality of the Year from The Guardian Post in 2023.
A fierce critic of institutional rot, Muna is presenting himself as a reform candidate focused on clean governance, decentralisation, judicial independence, and restoring public trust in government.
Akere Muna’s candidacy is also seen as a deliberate gesture toward inclusion, particularly for the country’s Anglophone regions, which have suffered years of instability and underrepresentation. As a son of the North West and a respected moderate voice, Muna is viewed as a potential bridge-builder.
The coalition backing Muna includes parties that previously ran alone or abstained from electoral processes. Among them are the Progressive Movement (MP3), parts of the original UPC, and emerging youth-based political associations. Organisers hope that this unity around a single candidate will avoid the opposition vote being splintered, as seen in past elections.
With the official submission now complete, Barrister Akere Muna becomes one of the leading opposition figures to be vetted by ELECAM for the 12 October 2025 presidential ballot. The Commission is expected to announce the final list of eligible candidates by early August.
Observers believe that the strength of Akere Muna’s candidacy will depend on whether the coalition can maintain cohesion and deliver a campaign that reaches across regional and linguistic divides.
Meanwhile, the Biya-led Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) has remained tight-lipped following the latest opposition developments, though the ruling party confirmed its leader’s intention to run for a new term earlier this month.
With the countdown to elections underway, Akere Muna’s entrance injects renewed energy into a race widely seen as pivotal for Cameroon’s democratic direction. Whether the coalition can translate momentum into electoral gains remains to be seen but for now, the stage is officially set.
By Hilltopvoices Newsroom
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