Presidential election in Cameroon is scheduled for October 12, 2025. Campaigns towards the election were officially launched on September 27, 2025 throughout the national territory. The Social Democratic Front, SDF party launched the campaigns at the Grandstand, Commercial Avenue, in Bamenda, headquarters of the North West Region. Everyone, who is somebody in the SDF was present at the campaign launch.
After the SDF big people came, launched the campaigns and left, the Chief Correspondent for The Reporter Newspaper in the North West Region, Jeff Ngawe Yufenyu, caught up with one of the actors at the grassroots, Ngu Lucas Afong, who is Chairman of Bamenda 3 Electoral District of the SDF.
In this interview, Ngu Afong speaks about the key messages of his party’s presidential candidate, Honourable Joshua Osih Nambangi, to the people of the North West Region; on how he will transmit the key messages to the electorate; about the aspirations of SDF militants in Bamenda 3; and his message of hope to the population of the electoral district.
The Reporter:
Mr District Chairman, your National Chairman and Presidential Candidate, Honourable Joshua Osih Nambangi launched Presidential Election campaign in Bamenda on 27 September, 2025. From your stand point, what are the key messages he has left for the electorate of the North West Region, as he engages in the campaign caravan to other regions of the country?
Ngu Lucas Afong:
We in Bamenda were happy that our locality was chosen as the first stop in the campaigns for the October 12, 2025 presidential election.
The message from the SDF candidate was very clear. He said he understands the crisis in the North West and South West Regions better than most of the other candidates in the race for the presidency. He promised to bring peace to the two regions within his first 100 days in office, if elected as President of Cameroon.
He promised to initiate constitutional reforms through a Constitutional Conference, where the form of the State will be discussed.
He promised a Federal System of government which is a strong item in SDF’s agenda from creation of the party. He pointed out that many great democracies around the world operate a federal system of governance. The Presidential Candidate said the Unitary System of governance as practiced in Cameroon has failed Cameroonians, so we need to move to another system which has worked elsewhere and guaranteed meaningful grass root development.
Candidate Osih also promised to institute free education for Cameroonian children beginning from the Nursery level to secondary education level.
In addition, he promised free birth certificates and free national identity cards. He said Cameroonians should not be subjected to buying their nationality by paying to obtain identity cards.
Osih Joshua promised free healthcare for pregnant women and children till five years after birth, amongst several other innovative ideas and concepts.
Question:
What are you doing as the man at the grassroots, to ensure that the message from the National Chairman penetrates all the nooks and crannies of your electoral district, so as to guarantee victory for the SDF?
Answer:
We have strategized but we won’t bring out our strategies in this conversation. However, here are a few things we will be doing between now and Election Day.
As you well know, our party, the SDF runs Bamenda III Council, so we will give an account to the people, how we have run the Council over the years. The people of Bamenda III are our judge. So far, the reading is that they are very satisfied with the way our municipal managers have run the Council.
We have formed campaign teams to execute a door-to-door, ear-to-ear, and mouth-to-mouth strategy. We have established and continue to establish a strong relationship with the electorate.
Question:
Through the eyes and the mind of the District Chairman that you are, what are the aspirations of SDF militants in your jurisdiction, as they look forward to the performance of their candidate in the presidential election on October 12, 2025?
Answer:
I will tell you in all honesty that if the presidential election were to be decided by Bamenda III electorate alone, then Candidate Osih Joshua would already be at the Unity Palace in Etoudi, Yaounde. By this, I mean that Bamenda III electorate have very high aspirations. We are expecting to win this election and institute an SDF government in Cameroon. We expect the SDF candidate to break the one party hegemony since independence and the one man reign for more than four decades. Bamenda III population wants to see another team lead this country in the next presidential mandate.
Question:
What is your message of hope to the people of Bamenda III at this time?
Answer:
I have a message of courage and determination for the population of Bamenda 3 municipality. They shouldn’t lose hope. They shouldn’t be discouraged by the threats that are all around the place. SDF militants are supposed to be bold and courageous people in the footprints of their pioneer National Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi, who launched the party in 1990 amidst blood shed brought about by opponents of democracy.
I urge all SDF militants in Bamenda III and throughout the national territory to come out massively and vote; and then protect and defend your votes. One vote is very essential because it is that vote that can bring the desired victory.
By Jeff Ngawe Yufenyu
