SDF party chairmanship isn’t disputable - Osih

The 1st Vice National Chairman of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, Joshua Nambangi Osih, has stated that the Chairmanship issue of the party that is being amplified by the media is and remains an internal affair of the party and not the business of non-militants including journalists.

Osih, who is also the MP of Wouri Centre was speaking in an interview on Africa 24. On why Fru Ndi has remained the National Chairman of the SDF since its creation and at the same time criticizing Biya for hanging on to power, Osih said the SDF was not interested on how long Biya has been the National Chairman of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, because, that is an internal affair of the party and thus concerns only its militants.

“The SDF concern about Biya is not his leadership of the CPDM, but rather with the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, an issue that should concern all Cameroonians. The Presidency of Cameroon belongs to all Cameroonians, as such; no person or party has the right to confiscate it.”

SDF Chair Is Democratically Elected

Osih boasted that the SDF is the only political party in Cameroon that practises democracy in the selection of its leader. According to him, in each Elective National Convention of the party, militants strictly respect the Constitution of the party including the incumbent National Chairman.

“Every aspirant for the post of National Chair of the SDF starts the campaign for his or her candidacy from the base, including the incumbent.”

The Civil Aviation expert noted that Fru Ndi had often faced tougher challengers in the race for the office of National Chairman, but has always emerged victorious through free, fair and transparent elections. “If Fru Ndi is still at the helm of the SDF today, it is simply because the militants want him to continue in that position. Power in the SDF belongs to the militants. When the militants will no longer want Fru Ndi to be the party’s leader, they will simply vote him out in an Elective National Convention of the party.”

Osih said the next Elective National Convention of the party will hold in 2016, and that Fru Ndi has the Constitutional right to vie for the post of National Chairman “and any other SDF militant who aspires for the post equally have the Constitutional right to run for the post.”

Reacting to the comment that Fru Ndi was once a CPDM militant, Osih said Cameroon then was a one-party State and anybody who was interested in politics was forced to militate under the CPDM. But, he said, Fru Ndi never held any post in the CPDM. On whether he (Osih) will contest the post of National Chairman of the party during the next Elective Convention of the party, he said “the post of National Chairman of the SDF is not in my agenda for now. Fru Ndi is still very competent to continue with the leadership of the party.”

SDF Is Bracing Up For 2018 Presidential Meanwhile, Osih said the SDF is bracing up to take over the leadership of Cameroon in the 2018 Presidential, if the elections are conducted in a democratic manner. He affirmed the importance of a united opposition front and said any party which wants to unite with the SDF for the elections will be welcome.