Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has purportedly condemned the recent presidential elections in Cameroon, labeling it a “fraudulent mockery of democracy” and calling for the African Union (AU) to suspend the Central African nation from the bloc.
President Boakai’s statement as alleged to be released by the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, marks one of the strongest criticisms from a sitting African head of state against the government of longtime Cameroonian President Paul Biya. The declaration threatens to ignite a significant diplomatic rift and places a spotlight on the AU’s commitment to upholding democratic principles among its member states.
The Cameroonian top court announced late Sunday evening that the 92-year-old Paul Biya, who has ruled the country for over four decades, had secured a 53 percent of the vote, extending his tenure to 2032. The opposition and independent observers had already dismissed the poll as deeply flawed. The announcement comes after days of tension and deadly protests that left at least four people dead. Opposition supporters accuse authorities of rigging the vote and they are demanding recognition of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s claimed.
President Boakai’s condemnation cited a “constellation of systemic abuses” that he argued stripped the electoral process of all credibility. “The so-called election in our sister republic was not a contest of ideas or the will of the people, but a pre-orchestrated farce designed to perpetuate a single individual in power,” the statement read. “It is a fraudulent mockery of the democratic ideals to which our continent aspires.” The Liberian leader outlined several key grievances, asserting that the electoral environment was rigged in favor of President Biya long before any ballots were cast. He pointed to the systematic denial of access for opposition candidate Maurice Kamto in the electoral process, effectively barring him from competing.
Furthermore, President Boakai highlighted the controversial removal of presidential term limits by the Cameroonian government, a move that allows the 92-year-old Biya to contest the presidency endlessly. “The incumbent has manipulated the very foundations of the state to remove the constitutional safeguards that ensure peaceful political transition, a cornerstone of any functioning democracy,” the statement added. Going beyond mere condemnation, President Boakai issued a direct challenge to the African Union, an organization whose foundational principles include the “promotion of democratic principles and institutions” across the continent.
“In the face of such a blatant and cynical subversion of democracy, silence is complicity,” President Boakai stated. “I hereby call upon the African Union not only to categorically reject and ignore the results of this fraudulent election but to take the decisive step of suspending the Republic of Cameroon from all activities of the Union until a credible, transparent, and inclusive electoral process is restored.” Under the AU’s constitutive acts, the body can suspend member states where there is an “unconstitutional change of government.” While typically applied to military coups, there has been growing debate about whether the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions by a sitting government qualifies.
There has been no immediate official response from the Cameroonian government or from the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The move by President Boakai, however, is expected to reverberate through diplomatic channels, testing the AU’s resolve in an era where the “wave of democratization” on the continent faces significant pushback from entrenched incumbents.