THEME : THE IMPERATIVE OF A CPDM LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN THE LEGISLATIVE AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS:
REASONS, PREREQUISITES, ACTIONS.
OPENING SPEECH BY MR JEAN NKUETE
SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE
CENTRAL COMMITTEE
- Fellow Comrades,
- Ladies and Gentlemen;
In light of the requirements of the national political agenda, this significant date of 15 July 2026 provides a valuable opportunity for the convergence of ideas and the exchange of views on strategies designed to advance the interests of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, whose future we are privileged to shape together under the exceptional leadership of our National President, His Excellency Paul BIYA.
Accordingly, it is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Yaounde Conference Centre, a venue that has always provided an ideal setting for our major gatherings. We also wish to express our sincere gratitude for your acceptance of our invitation despite your particularly demanding schedules.
At the outset, allow me to reiterate our profound appreciation for your unwavering commitment, tireless efforts and countless sacrifices in the discharge of your responsibilities, particularly in monitoring, supervising and supporting the Party’s basic organs within your respective political constituencies.
Indeed, thanks to your dedication, determination, courage, loyalty and perseverance, the CPDM has achieved remarkable progress, steadily consolidating its position as Cameroon’s foremost republican political party. Consequently, it has continued to secure landslide victories in successive national and local elections, thereby shaping the political landscape of our country.
It is therefore with immense satisfaction and a profound sense of fulfilment that we extend our warm congratulations and express our sincere appreciation to you, particularly in this year marking the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Central Committee’s Permanent Delegations. Indeed, as you will readily recall, following your appointment by the National President, His Excellency Paul BIYA, the teams of said Delegations were formally commissioned into office throughout the national territory between 31 May 2016 in Maroua and 29 June 2016 in Yaounde.
Those who witnessed the various ceremonies held to officially install the Heads, Members and Chargés de Mission of the new structures will undoubtedly remember the enthusiasm and widespread jubilation that accompanied said events. Indeed, they reflected the great expectations of Party members regarding the strengthening of our operational effectiveness at the grassroots level.
Well, dear comrades, as we commemorate this tenth anniversary, we are both entitled and justified in stating that the overall record of the Central Committee’s Permanent Delegations has been overwhelmingly positive. Indeed, this is borne out by the steady decline in the shortcomings and operational deficiencies that previously hampered the smooth functioning of our Party.
Indeed, whether in maintaining Party discipline, strengthening relations between the Party Hierarchy and the grassroots, overseeing, coordinating and financing the activities of the basic organs, fostering initiative in the field, promoting synergy among local Party structures, ensuring effective political monitoring at the local level, supporting Government action particularly in safeguarding national unity and peace or enhancing the Party’s involvement in local economic and social life, the Permanent Delegations of the Central Committee have made a remarkable contribution to improving the Party’s efficiency, effectiveness and overall performance across these areas and beyond.
In view of all that you have so successfully accomplished over the past ten years, it gives me great pleasure to convey to you the National President’s heartfelt congratulations and steadfast encouragement, to which I humbly add my own. Allow me also to say, with complete sincerity, that thanks to your unwavering support and commitment, I discharge my responsibilities as Secretary General of the Central Committee with confidence, peace of mind and reassurance.
Beyond your invaluable contribution to the qualitative transformation of the Party’s functioning, it is beyond dispute that your sustained efforts and long-standing commitment have played a decisive role in forging the CPDM’s spirit of resilience, as was clearly demonstrated throughout the presidential election of 12 October 2025, an election which, as we ultimately came to realise, was fraught with pitfalls and dangers for our political Party.
Indeed, the facts clearly demonstrate that, since the restoration of multiparty democracy in Cameroon, the CPDM had never before encountered such dishonest and disloyal competition in a presidential election as it did on 12 October 2025.
By that time, the opposition’s network had become so deeply entrenched that it had extended into almost every sector of national life, including the public administration, territorial administration, electoral institutions, the media and social media, civil society and religious circles, among others. Furthermore, it benefited from substantial financial, logistical and security support from foreign countries, International Organisations and segments of the Diaspora. Regrettably, there were also isolated acts of betrayal from within our own ranks.
In essence, it is now evident that the presidential election of 12 October 2025 was deliberately orchestrated with the objective of bringing about the defeat of the CPDM and its candidate. As expected, this formed part of a carefully coordinated strategy. Fortunately, the history of our country has never been written by conspiracies, however elaborate they may have been. On the contrary, the CPDM emerged from that electoral contest stronger than ever, once again demonstrating its resilience, stability and central role in Cameroon’s political life. Accordingly, this victory further reinforced its indispensable contribution to the harmonious, peaceful and sustainable development of our nation. It is therefore in this spirit of confidence, victory and determination that I urge you to complete, without delay, the preparations for the forthcoming parliamentary and municipal elections.
Dear comrades, despite the circumstances with which we are all familiar, it is essential that we do not succumb to discouragement. Rather, we must cling with even greater determination and pride to the positions of leadership we hold in the municipal councils and the National Assembly, and prepare to defend them fearlessly, with determination, panache and boldness. Indeed, we must never lose sight of the fact that the greatest danger for a reigning champion begins the moment he shows signs of hesitation in the face of his opponents.
Accordingly, we urge you to remain calm and composed as you prepare for the forthcoming elections, while adopting a conciliatory and balanced approach capable of reassuring our comrades at the grassroots. That said, the calmness we advocate bears no resemblance whatsoever to ignorance, arrogance, condescension, naïveté or recklessness. On the contrary, it calls for lucidity, foresight and sound judgement in both our analysis and our actions.
Consequently, more than ever before, we must demonstrate political realism and pragmatism in identifying solutions to the challenges confronting us in our respective localities.
In this regard, we must frankly acknowledge that the prevailing environment is not favourable to us in the run-up to the parliamentary and municipal elections. Indeed, growing public disenchantment at both national and local levels, rising expectations, unfulfilled promises and shortcomings of every kind are increasingly being highlighted and denounced from every quarter.
Accordingly, sustained efforts involving active engagement and continuous interaction with the population throughout this crucial electoral period are indispensable if we are to rebuild trust, strengthen our ties with the people and effectively counter misinformation.
Furthermore, political realism requires us to move beyond clichés and conventional approaches that have clearly become inadequate for analysing and understanding today’s national realities, which as elsewhere in the world are becoming increasingly complex. Accordingly, we must embrace modern, relevant and effective analytical frameworks capable of enabling us to grasp the full scope of the profound social transformations taking place at both national and local levels. Moreover, we must devise practical responses to these challenges while identifying more compelling arguments capable of convincing the electorate. In other words, the scale of the political and social transformations unfolding around us calls for a profound perhaps even revolutionary change in our outlook. Only then will we be able to understand more clearly the realities before us, accurately assess the expectations of our fellow citizens and their implications, and design innovative solutions and initiatives capable of winning their confidence and securing their indispensable support. This is precisely what the CPDM’s decisive electoral victory requires of us.
Indeed, this spirit of realism and pragmatism is today evident across the world and in virtually every sphere of human endeavour, from geopolitics and economics to culture, education, health and even sport.
Accordingly, this calls for a genuine change of mindset and greater openness on the part of us all, especially political officials. Only in this way shall we free ourselves from outdated habits, recognise the primacy of reason over emotion and acknowledge that yesterday’s solutions may no longer meet today’s realities. It therefore falls upon us to lead by example by embracing change and proposing bold, innovative solutions.
Dear comrades, this means that the time has come to intensify our preparations for the forthcoming elections. To this end, success will require not only sustained effort but also a systematic, methodical and efficient approach throughout the five or six months leading up to polling day. That is why, building on the achievements already recorded, we must continue our political work in a practical manner through clearly defined actions centred on specific objectives set out in a roadmap to be implemented before the elections.
In practical terms, if we are to approach the parliamentary and municipal elections with confidence and peace of mind, calm must first be restored within our ranks; our strengths and weaknesses must be clearly identified; and the issues at stake must be fully understood. Furthermore, our ambitions must be clearly defined, the necessary financial resources mobilised in good time and managed judiciously. Likewise, questions relating to candidacies and the profiles of prospective candidates must be addressed frankly and courageously so as to avoid unnecessary disputes at the decisive moment. At the same time, young people and women must be given greater responsibility, local communication must be strengthened, effective control of the voters’ register must be ensured, political monitoring and the tracking of rival parties must be organised, municipal campaign strategies must be clearly defined, and engagement with local communities must not be neglected.
In summary, the coming months must be devoted to addressing the fundamental issues of mobilisation, leadership, communication and public awareness on sensitive matters before the electorate is called to the polls and before the National President issues his circulars concerning the nomination of our candidates.
As you can see, dear comrades, today’s Strategic Seminar, which we requested the Secretariat for Political Training and the CPDM Academy to organise, is of paramount importance. Indeed, its primary objective is to equip you with the necessary tools to ensure the proper, practical and effective continuation of preparations for the parliamentary and municipal elections, which must remain the Party’s main focus and highest priority until the electorate is officially convened.
Dear comrades, as its title clearly indicates, this seminar is devoted to examining the reasons underpinning the Party’s imperative and overwhelming victory, the conditions required for its achievement, and the actions to be undertaken during the preparatory phase in order to secure this objective.
Accordingly, I urge you to pay close attention to the presentations that will be delivered, with a view to making effective and meaningful use of their recommendations in the field. I am firmly convinced that we have the capacity to successfully overcome the challenges before us, provided that we equip ourselves with the necessary means and commit ourselves resolutely and diligently to the task ahead, working together in unity and with a common purpose. Our sole objective must be to provide President Paul BIYA with the support he requires within the National Assembly and municipal councils, thereby enabling him to successfully implement the Great Hopes programme.
In the hope that this seminar will provide you with the necessary impetus and motivation for the successful accomplishment of your field missions in the months ahead, and while wishing you fruitful deliberations, I hereby declare open the Strategic Seminar to step up preparations for the forthcoming legislative and municipal elections, organised by the Secretariat General of the Central Committee.
Thank you for your kind attention.
