Election Fever in Mbengwi Records Low Temperature Reading.

Election Fever in Mbengwi Records Low Temperature Reading.

Barely days left for Cameroonians to go to the polls to elect a new president, the campaign fever that's gripped other towns is missing in action in Mbengwi, the Momo Divisional Headquarters in the North Western region. Going by media reports, presidential aspirants and their supporters have been touring almost every part of the nation, galvanising for votes but for some parts of the two Anglophone regions.

Against all odds, the CPDM successfully held a campaign rally at Mountain Hotel Buea and Congress Hall, Bamenda though critics have said it was more of an in-house meeting than a  campaign rally per se because of the security and enclosure. During the Bamenda meeting, the regional campaign manager, Prime Minister Philemon Yang installed divisional heads of campaign missions within the N.W for the ruling party. Such were charged with the responsibility of working in collaboration with ground militants to ensure that the door to door message of The Force of Experience, their party's presidential candidate's  campaign slogan reaches the nukes and crannies of their sections, sub sections and cells.

Presidential Hopeful Akere T. Muna

State Audit Minister, Mbah Achah Rose was installed to head the campaigns in Momo Division. Since then, the divisional headquarters is yet to be gripped by the campaign fever. No single poster of any other candidate has been pasted anywhere in the town, but for The Force of Experience posters of incumbent president Paul Biya. The few inhabitants still left in the deserted town of Mbengwi woke up this Sunday morning, the last day in September to find campaign posters of Paul Biya pasted almost everywhere in Mbon Motor Park, Mile 18 and other major streets. Among the inhabitants, nobody dares identify himself or herself with any political party. No single individual has been able to muster courage and put on the fabric or T-shirt or gadgets of any political party.  At the level of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) Momo Divisional Branch and Mbengwi Communal Branch offices, it's like they are in charge of everything but elections. Both offices are deserted, workers have become internally displaced and are seeking refuge elsewhere. I met with one ELECAM staff who told me for security reasons and based on what's been happening in other areas where their offices are being burnt, non of them feel comfortable again identifying themselves with the office.

H.E Minister Mbah Acha, Momo Divisional Campaign Head for the C.P.D.M

Everything being equal, this year's presidential elections would've been very remarkable to the people of Mbengwi in particular and Momo Division in general because for the first time in the history of Cameroon, a son of the soil, Akere Tandeng Muna is vying for the presidency of the republic under the banner of Popular Front for Development (PFD). Akere Muna is eying the Etoudi prestigious seat yet his charity had to probably due to conditions beyond control not begin from home. One would've expected Mbengwi, his hometown to be the bastion of his political party yet since he declared his intentions to stand as presidential candidate till date, he has never set foot in Mbengwi publicly.

Crowd at a Campaign Rally in Douala, Mbengwi Used to Have Such in the Good Old Days

Compared to the incumbent that has enjoyed blessings from the traditional authorities of the South Region, Akere Muna is yet to enjoy such blessings and probably conferment of a traditional title from the fons of the Meta clan. It should be recalled that  months after her presidential appointment as Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of the Supreme State Audit, Madam Mbah Acha née Fomundam Rose was conferred the traditional title of "Ingor-te-Widikum" by the Meta fons during the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Meta Cultural and Development Association (MECUDA) that took place on the Mbengwi municipal stadium in December 2015. Just for aspiring to be president, it's obvious the Meta fons that are very charitable with dishing out titles would've served Akere with one but for now, no one can tell why Akere chose to sideline his own people from his ambitions when they needed him most, at least for consolation and promises, the language of politics.

With this atmosphere of uncertainty and abandonment by aspirants, the commoners are wondering if the October 7th 2018 presidential elections will be a non event in Mbengwi? Government sources have however maintained the firm stance of the state and given all assurance that the elections will hold in Mbengwi and other sub divisions of Momo just like elsewhere in the country in a smooth and serene atmosphere.