The Constitutional Council in Yaoundé resumed hearings at 9:30 a.m. today, turning its attention to some of the most contentious disputes in the run‑up to Cameroon’s 12 October presidential election.
The Council is currently examining three petitions submitted by Professor Jean Bahebeck, Abdouraman Hamadou Baba, and Dominique Yamb Timba all claiming to have been invested as presidential candidates by the UPC. The petitions have been joined, and lawyers have been presenting their arguments since the morning session.
Two voluntary interventions were recorded: Robert Bapooh Lipot and Pierre Baleguel Nkot, both urging the Council to uphold the Election Commission’s decision to reject the three candidacies.
In a fiery address, Professor Bahebeck warned of the political consequences of failing to settle the matter:
“If you don’t fix this issue today, we will miss the presidency. We will have five presidents, five offices that will invest lists in the same constituencies for the upcoming elections. And UPC will die.”
Deliberations on the UPC case have been set for 3:30 p.m. today.
The MPCN founded in 2006 by the late Paul Éric Kingue, is facing a similar crisis. For the presidential race, the party invested two rival candidates Pierre Joseph Eyem Eboko and David Samuel Shewa both of whose files were rejected by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM).
Their appeals have been merged, and the Constitutional Council has now placed the case under deliberation, with a ruling also expected at 3:30 p.m. today.
One of the most closely watched disputes is the case involving Professor Maurice Kamto and Dieudonné Yebga, both invested by MANIDEM is due for a ruling this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Yesterday’s session saw more than five hours of legal argument but no decision, with the matter postponed until today.
With the UPC, MPCN, and MANIDEM disputes all headed for rulings within hours, the Palais des Congrès remains the focal point of Cameroon’s pre‑election legal battles. Inside, party leaders, political scientists, legal scholars, and presidential contenders are following proceedings closely; outside, political tensions are palpable as verdicts that could shape the final ballot draw nearer.
By Hilltopvoices Newsroom
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77