UDP Was Denied Senatorial Appointment Because It’s An Anglophone Party

-Says El Hadj Lawan Bako

By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

El Hadj Lawan Bako

The National Chairman of United Democratic Party, El Hadj Lawan Bako has attributed his non appointment or of a member of his party into the Senate or any other meaningful positions in government to Anglophone marginalization.

            Speaking to pressmen after the appointment, the astute politician regretted that his party is the only party of the presidential majority that has never benefitted from any appointments.

            Prior to the appointment of senators many political “book makers” had predicted that UDP will be amongst the privileged few parties to benefit judging from her performance in the just ended senatorial elections likewise her status as a member of the presidential majority.

            El Hadj Lawan Bako explained to prying journalists that in February 2, 2017 the UDP went into a gentlemanly agreement with the CPDM and other parties of the presidential majority during a meeting organized by the CPDM Secretary General to “work for peace and security in Cameroon while being part of governance”.

            According to shrewd politician, leaders or members of parties that joined the UDP have benefitted from appointments as senators or ministers except the UDP.

            “Most probably, to my understanding it’s because I am an Anglophone head of a political party” he noted with dissatisfaction.

            He explained that since 1992, no Anglophone leader of a political party of the presidential majority has been appointed to government unlike their counterparts who have benefitted from several appointments at different levels. He cited examples like Belo Bouba Magairi, Issa Tchiroma, Dakole Daisalla and others.

            “They have taken it to the small senate. More to this, my party defeated one party of the presidential majority of francophone leadership during the just ended senatorial elections. Why are they appointed while I’m behind?” question Lawan Bako.

            In an overall appreciation of appointment of senators in the North West region, he regretted that Bali  was given the lion’s share adding to the numerous ministerial and diplomatic positions they have while other Divisions have been left with little or nothing.

            Responding to questions why he went in for the senatorial elections conscious of the fact that he had no council or councilor in the region, Lawan Bako intimated that he went into to foster democracy in the country noting with satisfaction that they succeeded to have 16 votes and was the overall eighth of the nine parties that contested for the senatorial elections.

            He boasted that despite the fact that they had little sources of revenue to run campaigns owing to the fact that government did not disburse the earmarked funds unlike other parties that benefitted from contributions from their senators, ministers and directors generals, the UDP still proved its worth.

            On the ongoing Cameroon Anglophone crisis, El Hadj Lawan Bako regretted that it had been mishandled at all level reiterating that only genuine dialogue can be the only way out.

            He observed that if Macho Bibixy is to be sentenced, then the SDO for Mezam had to be sentenced first for “they allowed him to go very far with the coffin revolution without stopping him before it escalated”.