The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) Hon. Joshua Osih launched his campaign in Bamenda on Saturday 27 September with a speech delivered entirely in Pidgin English, striking a deliberate chord with grassroots voters in the conflict-hit North West region.
Speaking to a crowd at the Commercial Avenue after leading a kilometre-long walk to the city grandstand, Osih placed peace, justice, and the daily struggles of ordinary citizens at the centre of his message. He declared the upcoming 12 October presidential election to be “a referendum for peace”, insisting that ballots, not bullets, would decide the future of Cameroon.
Joshua Osih promised that, if elected, he would end the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions within his first 100 days in office. He said peace could not be negotiated from presidential offices in Yaoundé but required direct engagement with communities and the courage to reconcile. He pointed to lessons from Colombia and Brazil, stressing that women must play a leading role in peacebuilding.
The SDF candidate also pledged to convene a constitutional conference that would lead to a federal system of government, reviving the party’s long-standing stance on decentralisation and checks on executive power.
Beyond peace, the presidential hopeful highlighted issues that could be linked with daily life in Bamenda:
- Jobs for young people, warning that unemployment fuels insecurity and drives young men into armed groups. He pledged to industrialise local production and expand opportunities for decent work.
- Free and accessible healthcare, including restoring free basic treatment and ensuring that hospital revenues are properly managed.
- Free education, particularly at the primary level, with automatic birth certificates provided up to the age of five.
- Identity documents, promising that national ID cards would be free of charge and delivered within 24 hours.
- Land rights, with families to receive free land titles, allowing them to secure property and access credit.
- Direct family grants, restructured to reach households in need rather than filtered through intermediaries.
The SDF National Chairman framed his campaign as a continuation of the struggle begun by SDF founder John Fru Ndi in 1990. Speaking alongside Fru Ndi’s son, Benjamin, who wore his late father’s iconic atoghu attire, Hon Osih invoked the memory of party militants killed in Bamenda 35 years ago, asking the crowd to observe a minute’s silence.
Candidate Joshua Osih addressing campaign launching event in Bamenda
The choice of Pidgin as the language of delivery was itself a communication strategy, aimed at connecting directly with ordinary citizens in a city where the scars of conflict and economic hardship remain visible. “Solution dey,” Osih told the crowd, repeating that courage and unity were needed to end violence and rebuild livelihoods.
For many Bamenda residents, candidate Osih’s speech touched on issues of survival and dignity like peace in their neighbourhoods, jobs for their children, healthcare, schools, ID cards and land rights. Whether those promises will convince voters remains to be seen, but his choice to speak in the people’s tongue sent a clear signal that this campaign will be fought as much in the language of daily struggles as in the polished rhetoric of party manifestos.
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By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77
