Southwest Region:

Confusion in SDF as Chairman foils Coup attempt

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Southwest SDF regional chair, Ndobengang Martin Forcha

Serious tension and animosity has gripped regional executive members of Cameroon’s frontline opposition SDF party in the Southwest Region following failed attempts to unseat their regional chairman, Forcha Ndobengang Martin, through a vote of no confidence.

                The well calculated plans by regional executive members alongside their militants to slam the regional chairman a vote of no confidence collapsed after close to 7 hours of heated debates, arguments and counter arguments at a stormy regional executive meeting held recently in Kumba.

                The stormy executive meeting that held at the Kumba III council hall on Saturday January 6, 2018, under the watchful eyes of the National Executive Committee team leader for the reorganization of the Southwest, Hon. Mbah Ndam, among other things was aimed at resolving issues affecting the party at the level of the southwest region. It as well featured a motion raised by the SDF District Chairman for Mbonge, Itoe Toko Harrison calling for a no confidence vote on the regional chairman.

                Contrary to the expectations, the architects of the motion to unseat the regional chairman because of political infighting and self-interest left the meeting attendees with pale and grim faces as their plans could not be materialized. It took the intelligence and level-headedness of Hon. Mbah Ndam to calm down flaring tempers throughout the meeting.

                Though held indoors without the press, inside sources said the regional chairman in his address rubbished the motion to unseat him as fake and baseless.

                “We received a motion through a Bailiff dated 30th December, 2017 from the District Chairman of Mbonge Eletoral District Mr. Itoe Toto Harrisson, which I regard as fake because, in the motion it is stated five times that, the SDF party in the Southwest Region held an Elective Conference on 21st November, 2017. I wish to remind us as much as I know that, the SDF Southwest region held its Elective Conference on Saturday 12th November 2016. The above mentioned date is stating an event unknown to the SDF party, thus rendering it baseless,” Forcha Martin Ndobengang noted. 

                On his part the leader of the reorganization of the SDF in the Southwest, Hon. Mbah Ndam also faulted the motion to unseat the regional chair, stating that as per their constitution, a motion of that magnitude is supposed to be presented during a regional conference and not during a regional executive meeting.

                He added that the rapid growth of the SDF in the southwest region is making some of its militants become emotional with their love for the party. He added the militants who came thinking they were going to explode the meeting were calmed down through their usual way to dialogue and listen to everybody.

Flashback

                It should be recalled that in the month of August a group of disgruntled militants had grouped themselves into what was known as a "Think Tank" with the prerogative of "salvaging" the party from the hands of the regional chairman and consequently unseat him through a no confidence vote. The members of the "Think Tank" mostly made up of some Mayors and their deputies alongside other party officials have cited the downward trend of activities within the party in the region.