Crisis in Elecam:

Abdoulaye Babale Disavowed by Electoral Board

-Board members of Elecam met in session on Friday in Yaounde and came to the firm conclusion that the DG of elections, Abdoulaye Babale has committed grievous management errors and no longer merits to keep his office

By Tanyi Kenneth Musa in Yaounde

Elecam Board President, Enow Abrams Egbe, is not happy

with Abdoulaye Babale’s management style

Meeting in Yaounde Saturday for an emergency session chaired by the Chairman of the Electoral Board, Former Governor Enow Abrams Egbe, the board members of Elacam observed that the Director General of Elections has committed serious managerial errors that have created a deleterious atmosphere in the elections management institution.

            In a press statement issued on Friday 25 May 2018 and signed by the Chairman of the Electoral Board of Elecam, Governor Enow Abrams Egbe, board members of the institution observed among others that after a careful exploitation of the reports issued by board members following their respective missions to the various branches of Elecam at home and in the diaspora, they have come to the finding that the situation at Elecam is so unsatisfactory and characterized by a deleterious atmosphere and a general de-motivation of staffers especially on the eve of important elections.

            The Board Members noted for instance the repeated absence of the DG of elections at statutory board meetings convened and chaired by the Board Chairman and aimed to ensure a harmonious functioning of the institution.

           

The DG of elections, Abdoulaye Babale has been

The DG of elections, Abdoulaye Babale has beendisavowed by

 the Elecam Board for gross misconduct

They as well frowned at the ‘opaque and calamitous’ management of the finances and materials of the institution by the DG.

            Governor Enow Abrams and members of the Board noted that the above shortfalls of the DG have contributed to create an unwholesome atmosphere at Elecam and have dealt a serious damage to the credibility and image of the institution that is charged with the responsibility to organize and manage elections in the country.

           

The board members in unison resolved that the shortcomings of Abdoulaye Babale constitute a gross misconduct by virtue of article 25(2) of the electoral code, which states inter alia that…”The term of office of the DG of elections may be terminated in one of the following cases….(I)- Mental or physical incapacity duly established by the board (2)- gross misconduct duly established by the board and (3) penalty imposed for a felony.

            It is however not immediately known what fate awaits Abdoulaye Babale after these very telling observations by the electoral board. For one thing, the Board can only make observation but it cannot take any action against the DG of elections.

            It is understood that the president of the republic, who has the constitutional powers to hire and fire senior government officials will urgently pick up the Elecam dossier and take major decisions sooner than later, if only to reinstate harmony in the house, apart from restoring much-needed credibility at Elecam.

            Abdoulaye Babale was appointed as DG of Elections in July 2015. He replaced Mohaman Sani Tanimou, who was dismissed after he too engaged in the same power tussles and wrangling with the electoral board and its chairman at the time, Dr. Samuel Fonkam Azu’u.

            The outing of the electoral board comes at a time when Abdoulaye Babale is moving on the field trying to re-galvanize staffers of Elecam to prepare for upcoming challenges. The DG’s last stops were in Douala on Wednesday and in Maroua on Friday, where he told pressmen that all was well at Elecam and that the institution was battle-ready for upcoming elections.

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