Post-electoral litigations: Osih, Cabral for before, for back!.

The two politicians cum lawmakers, who were in their second shot at the nation’s top job, surprisingly budged in the wake of public outcry over irregularities in this year’s presidential election. 

With hearings on post-election litigations opening today at the Constitutional Council, Osih and Cabral were two of three candidates who had filed complaints.

They had in line with allegations of fraud and irregularities, observed on Sunday October 12, when citizens cast their votes to choose a new Head of State, called for the partial cancellation of the election in some areas.

Having sent in their complaints in respect of the 72-hour period as spelled out in the Electoral Code, many had been expecting a legal showdown between their lawyers and authorities concerned, to address the concerns raised. 

Yet, before the Constitutional Council could issue a release Monday announcing hearings on complaints relating to the poll, Osih and Cabral had withdrawn their petitions. 

The decisions have rather triggered more questions than provide answers as the conduct of the election continues to be a subject of debate.

Osih had complained against the delocalisation of polling stations in some diplomatic services, especially in Gabon and France. 

Cabral Libii, on his part, had two complaints. In one, he was asking for the annulment of the election in some communities over irregularities. 

He had also raised concerns over what he said were votes cast in some polling stations outnumbering the number of potential voters.

In a note addressed to the President of the Constitutional Council, Clement Atangana dated October 17, Cabral Libii acknowledged that on the 14th of the same month, he had deposited two complaints asking for the partial cancellation of the election. 

He went further to simply notify the President of the Council that he had withdrawn the complaints without any further details. 

While many were still battling to make sense of the move, another letter surfaced to the public space, indicating that Osih had taken the same road.

In the letter bearing the stamp of the mail service of the Constitutional Council and attributed to the SDF leader, Osih had also made a U-turn.

The letter is titled: “Withdrawal of complaint for the partial cancellation of the October 12, 2025 Presidential election”. In it, the Social Democratic Front candidate asked Atangana to close the file.

He detailed that his withdrawal concerns everything he had submitted to substantiate his complaint. Among concerns he had raised were; the “illegal exclusion” and nonreplaced of SDF representatives in at least 13,000 polling stations. 

Osih had written that the move was contrary to Article 56 of the Electoral Code, which mandates the replacement of such persons before voting starts.

The SDF leader had added to the list the location of polling stations in palaces and military barracks, gross irregularities in the crisis-hit North West and South West Regions and “cases of electoral fraud recorded in the” two English-speaking Regions.

Bafia dance fuels allegations against candidates

While critics have accused Cabral and Osih of engaging in front and backward movements, commonly known as Bafia dance, others have added to it fresh allegations of politicking with the powers that be. 

Even in the heat of the election, critics had accused the duo of reaching deals with the regime to maintain the status quo. Supporters of the two candidates have repeatedly condemned such allegations as cheap blackmail.

Only one candidate left before Council

The decision of Cabral and Osih to retract their complaints means today’s hearing at the Constitutional Council will see only one candidate in the race appearing before the legal chamber. 

When business gets underway at 11 a.m. today at the Clement Atangana-led Council, Hermine Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, of the Cameroon Democratic Union, CDU, will be the only candidate in the race with prayers.

In her complaint, Tomaino is pushing for the cancellation of the election, based on what she claims are; voter harassment among others. The CDU leader said the irregularities affected the credibility of the entire process.

Population cries ‘fraud’ as candidates withdraw complaints

Meantime, many voters and a cross-section of the population have since taken to social media platforms expressing misgivings about the poll. 

Some have been uploading videos and posting pictures of what they said are the irrefutable blights of that characterised the election. 

There are those who have continued to call for an overhaul of the country’s electoral system to address the shortcomings recorded. The Constitutional Council has until October 27 latest to proclaim results of the election.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3602 of Wednesday October 22, 2025