Bamenda, capital of the restive North West Region of Cameroon, once again became the focus of national politics this week as presidential candidates entered the city under extraordinary security arrangements. Their presence highlighted how deeply the conflict and insecurity continue to shape political activity in a region once known as a bastion of engaging civic life.
On Thursday 2 October 2025, Hon. Cabral Libii, candidate of the Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN), made a high-profile stop in Bamenda. His arrival unfolded like a military operation. From the “Welcome to Bamenda” entry point through Up Station, the convoy was flanked by armoured vehicles, gendarmes, soldiers, and police officers. The Regional Delegate of National Security was visible, issuing movement directives as the motorcade wound through the city.
The route was deliberately long: New Road, Bamendakwe-Nkwen, Mile 2, Mobile Nkwen, Ghana Street, SONAC Street, City Chemist, and Commercial Avenue, before reaching the Grandstand. Along the way, armed personnel occupied junctions, their presence as noticeable as the deserted shops and shuttered businesses typical of lockdown days.
Hon. Cabral Libii himself acknowledged the paradox. Speaking to Hilltopvoices after his rally, he admitted the spectacle spoke volumes about the insecurity in the city.
“I know that it is possible for me to stand here to speak because gendarmes, soldiers and police are in front and behind me. I imagine a common person cannot do the same because he will not have the same protection. This situation should stop,” he said.
“The economy here is stopped. Stopped. Schools are closed. Public offices are closed. We have to find a solution,” he declared, his voice rising over the quiet of the Grandstand.
The PCRN strongman rejected the idea of a quick fix, but stressed dialogue as the only credible path.
“Nobody has a miracle solution to end the war. But I also know that everywhere in the world, all wars end by peace agreements. That is why I said, if elected on October 12, even if it will be necessary to delocalise the presidency to Bamenda, I will do it. The priority of priorities is to achieve peace in these two regions.”
Hon. Cabral Libii also used the platform to caution against election boycotts, an idea circulating strongly in the Anglophone regions.
“I am not sure that the call for boycott is the right solution. Elections are an opportunity to change. Instead of boycotting, we can organise to control the vote. The main problem in this country is not that those who rule us win elections, but that they commit fraud in all elections. Instead of staying away, let us gather, organise ourselves, and protect our votes. At that moment, the will of the people will be proclaimed and change will come.”
He warned against what he called “learned powerlessness,” the belief that an individual vote does not matter.
“It is wrong. Everywhere I go, Cameroonians are suffering. We all need change. If we want change, then on October 12 we must go out massively and vote – and control our vote,” he insisted.
In his rally speech, the presidential aspirant spoke directly to Bamenda residents, recalling his participation in the 2019 Grand National Dialogue.
“I was vice president of the commission on internally displaced persons. I personally proposed to the Head of State the liberation of Mancho Bibixy and others so they could participate. We need a second, a third, even a tenth dialogue if necessary. Dialogue is the only road to peace,” he said.
He added a symbolic pledge:
“If it means moving the presidency from Yaoundé to Bamenda until peace is restored, I will do it. My government will sit here if necessary, because reconciliation must be pursued where the pain is deepest.”
Hon. Cabral Libii’s heavily fortified visit came just days after Hon. Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) and the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) launched their campaigns on Saturday 27 September. Saturdays and Sundays are the only days permitted for commercial activity under lockdowns, and both parties seized the chance.
Hon. Joshua Osih spoke at the Commercial Avenue Grandstand under far less visible security. His team admitted privately that the minimal protection had been a concern, though the turnout was encouraging. In his message, Joshua Osih positioned himself as the candidate who truly understood the plight of Anglophones, promising federalism, free education, free national identity cards within 48 hours, and social support for vulnerable families.
The CPDM, meanwhile, convened at the Bamenda Congress Hall under a visibly tighter protective shield. While not on the same scale as Hon. Cabral Libii’s armoured escort, the ruling party’s gathering benefited from more resources and a sense of state-backed authority.
For many observers, the contrast was stark. The ruling party enjoying relative ease, opposition parties improvising under risk, and the newest challenger navigating Bamenda with military muscle.
Together, these events indicates how security has become both barrier and theatre in Bamenda’s politics. For candidates, the question is no longer whether they can persuade voters, but whether they can simply stand before them at all. For citizens, political participation comes with hesitation, often shaped by fear more than conviction.
Hon. Cabral Libii’s words at the Grandstand cut to the heart of this reality:
“We are campaigning, promising what we want. But how can you realise promises in a country where part of it is at war? It is not possible. First, we must have peace.”
As the 12 October presidential election approaches, Bamenda remains both the symbol and frontline of a city where democracy moves under escort, where empty streets and military convoys speak louder than campaign slogans, and where peace remains the most valuable promise yet to be delivered.
As Hon Cabral Libii drove out of Bamenda , the lockdown resumed its grip. The campaign convoys dispersed, leaving behind muddy roads and scattered flyers trampled underfoot along streets in Old Town. As life returns to normal,, many are asking if political promises survive in a city where security remains fragile, and where the courage to step out and vote is itself an act of defiance?
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Online
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
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