Campaign Pulse 2025: Reading the messages behind Bamenda’s campaign kickoff

The official launch of presidential campaigns in Cameroon unfolded in Bamenda on Saturday 27 September, offering voters not just political messages but a display of contrasting communication strategies from the country’s frontline parties.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF), led by its national chairman and presidential candidate Hon Joshua Osih, turned to symbolism, memory and grassroots connection. In the morning before the rally, SDF officials appeared on selected Bamenda-based radio stations and a local television channel, outlining Osih’s manifesto and announcing the launch programme. On the ground, however, it was emotion and culture that carried the day.

Banner at City Chemist roundabout with SDF party security officials and wreath to be laid by chairman and candidate Osih Joshua

At City Chemist, a site the party calls “Liberty Square” in memory of six militants killed during its 1990 launch, Osih laid a wreath before walking nearly a kilometre to the grandstand whicb is a symbolic act linking past sacrifice to the present struggle. He was dressed in atoghu, traditional regalia of the Grassfields people, projecting cultural pride and local identity. 

Benjamin Fru Ndi addressing campaign launch event in Bamenda 

Adding to the emotional weight, Benjamin Fru Ndi, son of the late SDF founder, appeared in his father’s emblematic atoghu and shared personal stories. He recalled being five years old when the party was created in 1990, and reminded supporters of Osih’s student activism at CPC Bali during the protests for the organisation of the GCE Board. These narratives connected party history with its present candidate, evoking continuity and loyalty.

Language played a key role. The SDF’s communication at the rally was almost entirely in pidgin English which is  a choice that resonated strongly with grassroots supporters in Bamenda, offering familiarity, accessibility, and a sense of authenticity. The event ground was lightly branded with party fabric and banners, while commercial motorbike riders waving flags and wearing T-shirts added to the populist atmosphere. The rally was livestreamed, but notably on Osih’s personal page rather than the party’s, underscoring the deliberate centring of his personal brand.

In sharp contrast, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) launched its campaign without its candidate, President Paul Biya. Instead, its communication leaned on visibility, hierarchy and established order. Giant billboards bearing Biya’s portrait appeared overnight across the city, creating an air of surprise mixed with inevitability. 

Paul Biya’s bill boards on the streets of Bamenda 

At the regional launch, former Prime Minister Yang Philemon and Biya's regional campaign manager, led a delegation of senior state officials dressed in CPDM uniforms. The hall was heavily branded, reflecting the party’s discipline and resources. Unlike the SDF, CPDM’s messages were delivered largely in standard English, projecting formality and institutional authority. Yang concluded the event with an interview, anchoring the day’s message on continuity and loyalty to Biya.

CPDM militants at the Bamenda congress hall

The divergence is striking. The SDF’s communication was emotional, memory-driven and grassroots-centred, designed to humanise its candidate and deepen bonds with ordinary citizens. The CPDM’s strategy was institutional, resource-heavy and hierarchical, signalling power, organisation and dominance of public space.

Each approach has strengths and risks. The SDF’s emotional appeals and pidgin-based communication may energise loyalists and resonate with undecided voters seeking authenticity, though limited media presence could blunt wider reach. The CPDM’s strategy of overwhelming visibility and elite mobilisation reinforces its image as the ruling force, but risks appearing top-down and detached from grassroots sentiment.

For Bamenda, a city marked by political struggle and memory, the choice of communication techniques is not trivial. It could shape not only perceptions of the candidates but also the dynamics of participation as the 2025 campaign gathers pace.

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By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom 

Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com 

Tel: 6 94 71 85 77