The charismatic opposition leader of the 1990s and 2000s in Cameroon, Ni John Fru Ndi is 80 years old.
The national president of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) indeed blew out his 80th candle this Wednesday July 07, 2021 in his residence in Yaoundé, the political capital of Cameroon. On the web, Cameroonians pay a vibrant tribute to the politician, once a leading figure in the radical opposition to the country, the cradle of our ancestors.
“He is quite a symbol, a living legend of Cameroonian politics, an icon, a guide, an inspiration. He embodies all this for having marked an entire generation with his leadership qualities. We celebrate his immense political work and a life full of lessons. On this day when our Chairman blows his 80th birthday, let us all wish him a happy birthday, rock-solid health and the wisdom necessary to make a success of this peaceful transition that he wanted at the head of the homeless ”, posted JR Wanko, member of SDF in Germany.
John Fru Ndi celebrates his birthday when the debate on his succession at the head of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) continues to fuel discussions in the neighborhoods as in the political arcana of the country.
“At a certain age and at a certain point in life, you have to let the younger ones go on. And they must take over when you are still there to see what they are doing, so you can direct them and correct them, “he told reporters meeting at his home in Yaoundé on February 11, 2021.
This announcement, which the Chairman justifies by the weight of age, is slow to materialize. He even created and established a climate of tension between two potential candidates for his succession at the head of the party: Vice-President Joshua Osih who had been the party’s presidential candidate on October 14, 2018 and MP Jean-Michel Nintcheu .
As a reminder, John Fru Ndi, was born on July 7, 1941 in Baba II (district of Santa, near Bamenda, in the North-West Region). Founder and leader of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, he was a candidate against Paul Biya in the presidential elections of 1992, 2004 and 2011. In 1992, during the very first pluralist presidential election in Cameroon, John Fru Ndi took the second position with 36%, behind Paul Biya (40%), in power since 1982.
Citing numerous frauds against him, he declared himself elected, but Paul Biya, with the approval of the Supreme Court and the support of France, declared himself the winner and had him placed under house arrest for several months at Ntarikon Palace, in Bamenda. After this episode, he claims to have been received into the White House during the inauguration of new US President Bill Clinton (he provides a photo, which later turns out to have been faked). John Fru Ndi is indicted for “complicity in assassination, simple injuries and minor injuries” with twenty other leaders of the party in August 2006, following the death of Grégoire Diboulé, during clashes following a conflict the leadership of the Sdf between John Fru Ndi and Bernard Muna.
In the April 2013 Senate election, Fru Ndi stood as a candidate in the Northwest Province, his primary support base. The indirect election marked the creation of the upper house of Parliament; previously only the National Assembly had existed. Fru Ndi failed to win a seat in the Senate. He alleged that the ruling party had bribed some SDF local councilors.
John Fru Ndi has taken a critical stance against the Cameroonian government’s handling of the Anglophone Crisis, a war that has affected him personally. In October 2018, Ambazonian separatists burned down his house in Bamenda. On April 19, 2019, his brother was kidnapped by gunmen, who demanded a ransom. Eight days later he was kidnapped himself, while visiting Kumbo, Northwest Region to attend the funeral of Joseph Banadzem, the Parliamentary group leader of the SDF. He was released shortly afterwards, with the SDF describing the whole affair as a “misunderstanding” that was quickly solved. It was revealed the next day that the separatist had kidnapped Fru Ndi in order to get a chance to talk to him. In a video that appeared online, gunmen asked the SDF leader to withdraw all SDF legislators from the National Assembly and the senate. Fru Ndi replied that he would not, stating that doing so would be counterproductive.
Fru Ndi has made a point of always travelling without a security escort whenever he visits the Anglophone regions, stating that he is not afraid of his own people – including separatists.
