Cameroon constitutional council dismisses petition for nullification of presidential poll

Cameroon Constitutional Council on Friday overruled a petition by Joshua Osih, candidate of leading opposition party Social Democratic Front (SDF) demanding the total cancellation of the October 7 presidential poll.

The rule brought to an end four-day long hearings of 18 post-electoral petitions, all of which were rejected.

During the last hearing that began on Thursday and ended on Friday, Mr Osih’s lawyers argued that the election did not take place in the Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest due to security concerns.

“All the laws regarding elections were disrespected in these regions.

“No one was able to vote freely. We, therefore, call on the council to cancel the election totally,” Mr Osih told the council.

The President of the Council, Clement Atangana, said Mr Osih’s petition was “admissible in form’’ but his arguments were “not justified’’.

“It is clear from documents and debates that the October 7, 2018 election took place in the Northwest and Southwest regions where 32,729 and 57,084 voters took part respectively.

It is, therefore, clear that the count is unfounded. For the other counts, the problems raised have no influence on the results of the election. The petition of Joshua Osih, is therefore, rejected,” Mr Atangana said.

Mr Osih’s petition was the last to be heard by the Constitutional Council, which had earlier dismissed 17 other petitions mostly for “lack of evidence and legal backing’’.

The ruling on the petitions now pave the way for the Council to proclaim the final results of the election, Barrister Jean Nkemgu, who took part in the hearings said.

“We are now at a crucial phase in the democracy of our country.

“Now that everybody (petitioners) has had his day in court, it is expected that they will all respect the final results that will be declared by the Council.” Mr Nkemgu said.

According to the Electoral Code, the final results of the election are expected to be declared by the council by October 22.

(Xinhua/NAN)