Constitutional council’s decision leaves Kamto out of presidential race

Opposition leader’s disqualification upheld as analysts warn of institutionalized exclusion

Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has definitively barred opposition leader Maurice Kamto from October’s presidential election, rejecting his appeal as “lacking legal justification” in a ruling delivered Tuesday.

The decision upholds an earlier disqualification by the Electoral Council, dealing a fatal blow to Kamto’s bid under the Manidem party banner.

His legal team condemned the verdict as politically orchestrated, with lawyer Hippolyte Meli alleging the Council operated “97% politically and 3% legally,” thereby “legitimizing fraud” in the electoral process.

Legal Dead End Forces Political Gambit

With no further appeals permitted under Cameroonian law, Kamto’s lawyers declared their role concluded, urging opposition factions to pursue “political remedies.”

The ruling culminates a year-long saga over Kamto’s candidacy, initially jeopardized by his former party MRC’s electoral boycott in 2020.

A last-minute pivot to Manidem collapsed when the party inadvertently nominated dual candidates—a violation of electoral code.

Political analyst Aristide Mono framed the outcome as “the political use of institutions,” accusing authorities of weaponizing legal frameworks to sideline rivals.

Tensions Mount as Coalition Calls Grow

The verdict has intensified unrest in urban centers, prompting government warnings against “public disorder.”

Opposition groups are now rallying for a united front against President Paul Biya’s 43-year rule, though Kamto’s exclusion deprives them of their most prominent figure.

The Council’s irreversible ruling solidifies an electoral landscape critics deem pre-engineered, with Biya, 90, expected to seek reelection.