After the publication of the statement from the Secretary General of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) that touched on recent happenings in the country since the re-election of the party’s presidential candidate Paul Biya, members of the ruling party have described the outing of Jean Nkuétè as timely and pregnant.
CPDM militants received the June 2 communiqué of Secretary General Jean Nkuétè with visible satisfaction, describing it as the voice of a party firmly in command of the national moment.
The statement, wide-ranging in scope and unflinching in tone, addressed everything from the historic pastoral visit of Pope Leo XIV to the creation of the office of Vice-President of the Republic, from the worsening moral decay gripping society to the imperative of electoral preparedness. For many in the party’s rank and file, it was exactly the kind of comprehensive reckoning they had been waiting for.
“The Secretary General has spoken to every concern that is on the lips of Cameroonians,” Hon Ngah Estella who is CPDM MP for Mbiame in Bui division of the North West region. “He has not shied away from anything.”
Much of the communiqué’s warmth was reserved for the 20 May National Day celebrations, during which Nkuétè conveyed the congratulations of President Paul Biya to militants across the country for what he described as an outstanding performance. The CPDM’s exceptional participation in the commemorations, he noted, reflected the population’s deep attachment to peace, unity and the institutions of the Republic — sentiments that militants say they feel every day on the ground.
The Secretary General’s remarks on the Vice-President post drew particular attention. Describing it as a visionary and timely initiative rooted in Cameroon’s own socio-anthropological realities, Nkuétè framed the constitutional reform as a rallying call and a unifying banner. Party members welcomed that framing. “This is not an imported idea,” said a CPDM women’s wing leader in Mezam IA. “It comes from our own soil and speaks to our own future.”
Nkuétè also fired a clear warning at those spreading tribalistic rhetoric, fabricating divisions among presidential collaborators and weaponising both domestic and foreign media for narrow interests. His call for vigilance resonated strongly at the grassroots, where militants say they have watched with concern as disinformation campaigns have intensified in the run-up to forthcoming elections.
On the question of electoral mobilisation, the Secretary General was unambiguous. Voter registration must be systematically monitored. The party’s political oversight of electoral constituencies must be strengthened. Section presidents of the CPDM, WCPDM and YCPDM must lead from the front under the supervision of divisional and regional permanent delegations. The objective, he made clear, is the consolidation and expansion of the majorities the CPDM already holds in the National Assembly and across municipal councils nationwide.
Perhaps the most morally charged passage of the communiqué addressed the epidemic of depravity sweeping society — the rape of children and minors, sexual assaults, femicides and other forms of violence against women. Nkuétè extended the compassion and solidarity of the CPDM to victims and their families, called on institutions to apprehend and sanction perpetrators without leniency, and urged citizens to take collective responsibility in reporting and combating these abhorrent acts.
“He named it for what it is,” said Maureen Forbang a female militant in Yaounde. “We have been waiting for the party to speak on this with force. Now it has.”
Tributes were also paid to the late Marcel Niat Njifenji and Cavaye Yeguie Djibril — two pillars of the CPDM who stood beside the National President for decades. Their passage, Nkuétè said, leaves a debt of gratitude that remains immeasurable.
Jude Viban
