Constitutional, institutional coup - Prof Maurice Kamto.

The statement came in the wake of the bill, tabled before Congress for the revision of the country’s Constitution.

The bill, which was subsequently voted on Saturday April 4, 2026, paves the way for the creation of the post of Vice President in the country.

In his Friday statement, Prof Maurice Kamto, who ran for office of President in 2018, regretted that as per the revision, the Vice President will not be elected, but appointed by President Biya at his discretion. 

Kamto recalled that during his inauguration ceremony on November 6, 2025, President Biya had sworn to protect the Constitution. 

He said in less than six months, “he is brutally trampling upon this same Constitution, thus demonstrating once again his contempt for the Cameroonian people, whom he has always regarded as nothing more than a collection of subjects subservient to the monarch he is”.

Kamto bemoaned the fact that no debate was organised by government to inform the public about the ongoing upheavals.

The veteran politician regretted that there has been no explanation, nor the slightest consultation or involvement of the country's political forces, not even those represented in Parliament. 

Kamto claimed that: “Two profound truths lie behind the current maneuvers, which are being given a legal veneer. The first point is that the CPDM has always had a visceral fear of elections because, by virtue of its political heritage and the context of its rise to power, it carries the DNA of the single-party system it inherited”.

He said for decades, the CPDM has boasted of being a "steamrolle". 

“The relentless political work of the opposition, particularly over the last decade, has shown that it only survives thanks to a sophisticated system of electoral fraud, refined over the years, and the complicity of administrative authorities and security forces at all levels. Now, this is compounded by the dismantling of the laws of the Republic and a level of political and judicial brutality worthy of fascist regimes. It is this paralysing fear of elections that gives rise to the idea of transferring power through backroom deals,” he continued.

Preparing handpicked successor

Prof Kamto had in his Friday outing, accused President Biya of reinstating the same Constitutional mechanism, by which the 1979 Constitutional revision, under President Ahmadou Ahidjo, had allowed him, as Prime Minister at the time, to become President of the Republic. 

“This time, it will be an appointed Vice President, not a Prime Minister. But the logic and the results are the same. It is a Constitutional loophole that will allow even an individual who has never held a position in the administration or an elected office, to eventually become President of the Republic, Head of State, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, in the event of vacancy, without having gone through an election,” he regretted.

“One might say that history is repeating itself. But it's even worse, because the Vice President, having become an unelected President, will himself be able to appoint another (unelected) Vice President! This is the meaning of the draft Constitutional revision of April 2, 2026. It is not a regression; it is a Constitutional and political shipwreck,” Kamto added.

The opposition figure said his political party was denouncing the institutional power grab, which he says has disguised as legality. 

The consequences of the seemingly minor Constitutional revision, he said, are such that the Cameroonian people should have been consulted through a referendum. 

“The CPDM regime believes it has entrenched itself forever, but it is mistaken. It will understand that in a Republic, power comes from the people. And Cameroonians now know this,” he insisted.

“Generally, a government that has just won a presidential election takes advantage of the momentum of its victory to immediately organise legislative and even local elections. This is observed worldwide. It is because the CPDM is certain of its defeat that it is avoiding elections at all costs, even though it claims to have won the presidential election, five months ago,” he continued.

Kamto was blunt that: “We must prevent the political misfortune afflicting our country from flourishing. We must all, together, clearly and loudly express our rejection of the Constitutional and institutional coup”.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3752 of Monday April 06, 2026