Trump Urged to Recognise Cameroon's Opposition as President-Elect
- Timi Frank called on the U.S., EU, and AU to recognise Issa Tchiroma Bakary as Cameroon’s legitimate president-elect
- He accused President Paul Biya of plotting to manipulate election results to extend his 42-year rule
- Frank warned that failure to act could embolden anti-democratic leaders across Africa, including in Nigeria’s 2027 polls
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Former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Timi Frank, has urged the United States and the international community to recognise Issa Tchiroma Bakary as the rightful winner of Cameroon’s presidential election.
Frank made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, alleging that President Paul Biya was plotting to subvert the will of Cameroonians through electoral manipulation to extend his four-decade rule.
Source: Twitter
Frank urges world leaders to act
He said publicly available polling data and regional tallies showed that Bakary emerged the true winner, accusing Biya of using state institutions to undermine democracy.
The political activist condemned reported acts of intimidation and violence against citizens protesting the alleged manipulation of results.
He warned that any attempt to alter the outcome through the courts could spark a national crisis.
“Paul Biya, at 92, remains Africa’s longest-serving leader. His refusal to relinquish power despite popular rejection is a mockery of democracy,” he stated.
“Cameroon is already burning because the youth are rejecting attempts to manipulate the outcome in favour of Biya. They know who truly won.”
Source: Getty Images
Biya faces calls for global sanctions
Frank called on the United States, the European Union, and the African Union to reject any attempt to legitimise Biya’s victory and to recognise Bakary as the president-elect.
He also urged them to impose sanctions on Biya’s government if evidence of electoral interference persists.
“I call on President Donald Trump and other global leaders to help Cameroonians by recognising Bakary and by imposing diplomatic and economic sanctions on Biya’s regime. The rigging of elections in Africa must stop. The time has come for the will of the people to prevail.”
Frank applauded Trump’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and urged him to direct similar attention to Africa’s democratic struggles.
He warned that failure to confront election rigging could embolden other leaders to undermine democracy, including in Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
He also appealed to Cameroon’s military and police to stop violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters and protect citizens’ constitutional rights.
He compared the situation in Cameroon to Ivory Coast, where President Alassane Ouattara is reportedly seeking another term, describing it as part of a troubling continental pattern of leaders clinging to power.
Opposition candidate declares victory
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Cameroon’s opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary had declared victory in the country’s presidential election, challenging the decades-long rule of incumbent President Paul Biya.
The announcement came on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, just two days after the vote, despite official results not expected for another fortnight.
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Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
