2025 Presidentials: Why the in house fighting over UPC candidacy?

I'm not a candidate for the nomination. I am the official candidate of the UPC," declared Dominique 

Yamb Ntimba, a political scientist known for his appearances on the pan-African channel For You Media Africa, aiming to dispel any ambiguity regarding his presidential bid for the year-end elections.

"There were other candidates, and mine was the one selected," he asserted. However, whether that confidence will secure Yamb Ntimba a place on the ballot remains uncertain.

Jean Bahebeck, a surgeon and frequent television debate participant, also claims legitimacy as the UPC's candidate. 

Like Yamb Ntimba, he maintains he won a properly conducted primary held on April 10 in Yaounde, coinciding with the UPC's 77th anniversary. 

The minutes of that meeting describe it as an extraordinary session of the party's executive committee, which organized the April 10 primary between Bahebeck and Yamb Ntimba. 

Twenty-seven of the thirty-four members voted for the surgeon, six backed his opponent, and one abstained. 

While Jean Bahebeck claims endorsement from one executive committee, Dominique Yamb Ntimba presents a statement from a separate executive committee, which also convened on April 10 and named him the official candidate. 

Determining which of the two committees holds the legitimate authority to nominate a presidential candidate is proving difficult, and neither man appears willing to concede. Dominique Yamb Ntimba has maintained a low media profile since his nomination, and his communication strategy is still developing. 

He is scheduled to appear in Douala this weekend for a meeting of senior members from the UPC faction led by Henriette Ekwe.

Officials from this branch indicate Yamb Ntimba will address party members who initially supported Jean Bahebeck, signaling his intent to pursue his campaign. 

Jean Bahebeck, meanwhile, has begun crafting his campaign slogan and outlining his platform. "I believe in a future where every voice counts and every dream deserves to be heard," he wrote on Facebook. 

He continues to challenge his rival's candidacy. "Yamb has never been a UPC member. This man was pulled from the neighborhood just to sabotage my candidacy within the party. 

“I welcomed him like a brother and advised the UPC leader in Douala’s 2nd district to register him, so at least he could become a member.”

“Only then could we consider reviewing his profile, because it’s impossible to run as a party’s candidate without being a member," Bahebeck wrote on Facebook, expressing frustration. 

The outcome of this standoff remains unclear. Elections Cameroon (Elecam), the independent body overseeing elections, will not approve two candidates from the same party. 

This situation is familiar to the UPC, whose lists and candidates were rejected in the 2020 municipal and legislative elections due to similar internal disputes. 

BY MICHAEL ANGE NGA

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Two opposite candidate head for 2025 Presidentials election under UPC