Over thirty two plaintiffs particularly want to annul the resolution taken during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of 23 July 2022.

Officials of the Social Democratic Front have filed a suit before the High Court of Mfou seeking the annulment of a series of decisions endorsed by their leader John Fru Ndi . They underline that on that day, the NEC decided that all SDF officials who were absent from the reorganisation process in the different regions of the country should be stripped of their right to stand for election.

For the 32 plaintiffs, this resolution is anti-statutory. For this reason, they referred to the SDF’s statutes. Article 7 of this text provides that “any member who is financially in good standing with the party and who is an active member, has the right to be a voter in any election and is eligible for any position or office within the party.

This is not the first time that this NEC resolution validated by the SDF Chairman has created confusion in the ranks of the opposition party. Those who are against this measure have always suggested that it is a subterfuge to block the way to the deputy Jean Michel Nintcheu, a serious candidate to replace John Fru Ndi at the head of the SDF. According to several experts, the latter has the support of the grassroots and can logically win against the MP Joshua Osih, presented as the putative successor of the chairman. He is also very close to the party’s secretary general, Adeline Lord Djomgang, who is also concerned by this complaint.

On a TV set last year, she defended the resolution while assuring that it would be implemented. This again ruled out conciliation between the two sides. It is now up to the courts to decide. Especially since the party’s elective congress is scheduled to take place in the next few months.

The magistrates of the TGI of Mfou must also rule on the irreconcilable debate related to the audit of the party’s accounts. The plaintiffs want a chartered accountant to be appointed. This proposal was rejected by the camp that remained faithful to John Fru Ndi. The dispute was exacerbated by Fru Ndi’s decision to form a new Shadow Cabinet. Once again, the plaintiffs claim that the chairman has violated the party’s constitution.

According to the statutes, members of the Shadow Cabinet are appointed by the National Chairman after a broad consultation during which their knowledge of the party and their experience as party activists are assessed. For the 32 complainants, this provision has not been respected. To make matters worse, they accuse John Fru Ndi of co-opting into the cabinet people who had never been active in the SDF before, such as lawyer Agbor Kongho Felix.