The Social Democratic Front (SDF) has formally petitioned Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) to urgently relocate hundreds of polling stations currently sited in military facilities and traditional chiefdoms, arguing that their locations violate electoral law and undermine the principles of transparency, neutrality, and accessibility.
In a letter dated 21 July 2025, delivered on July 31 and addressed to the President of the Electoral Council, SDF National Chairperson and presidential candidate Hon. Joshua N. Osih highlighted what he described as “serious irregularities” in the provisional list of polling stations published by ELECAM’s Director General.
According to the SDF’s analysis, 1,153 polling stations nationwide are still located in areas that are either inaccessible to the general public or fail to meet legal requirements under Article 96(4) of the Electoral Code. These include:
- 12 polling stations in military barracks
- 5 polling stations within army headquarters, including inside the Presidency of the Republic described by the SDF as the campaign headquarters of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) candidate
- 1,141 polling stations situated in traditional chiefdoms
The party argues that such locations are incompatible with the law, which prohibits the presence of arms at polling sites and requires venues to be neutral, accessible, and free from intimidation.
“It is legally and materially unacceptable for polling stations to remain inside barracks or army headquarters, which are neither public civilian venues nor neutral spaces. The presence of armed personnel contradicts the legal requirement for polling stations to be free of weapons,” Osih stressed.
The regional breakdown provided by the SDF shows a concentration of chiefdom-based polling stations in the Centre Region (546), Far North (432), and smaller numbers across other regions, including Adamaoua (6), East (32), Littoral (36), North (4), West (35), and South (50).
The SDF’s submission includes a detailed legal argument challenging ELECAM’s occasional classification of chiefdoms as public venues. The party insists that chiefdoms are customary institutions with restricted access, subject to cultural rules and traditional authority, and therefore cannot be considered administrative public spaces under Cameroonian law.
Citing jurisprudence and the 1977 decree governing traditional leadership, Osih points out that most chiefdoms are located on ancestral or family-owned land, not state-owned property, and access is often subject to ritual protocols or restricted to dignitaries.
The SDF is demanding that ELECAM instruct its Director General to relocate all affected polling stations to genuinely public civilian venues such as schools, municipal halls, or community centres, and to promptly publish the revised list to inform voters and avoid disputes on polling day.
“We respectfully request a prompt and republican response to this matter to ensure a fair, transparent, and credible election on 12 October 2025,” the SDF leader concluded.
The party’s petition adds further pressure on ELECAM as preparations intensify for a high-stakes presidential race, in which issues of electoral transparency are expected to feature prominently.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
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