His declaration was dismissed by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, who denounced it as unlawful and “a matter of serious concern.”
The ruling CPDM also condemned Tchiroma’s claim as a “grotesque hoax,” maintaining that only the Constitutional Council is authorized to officially declare the winner.
However, there are reportedly widespread concerns about electoral transparency, fairness, and integrity. Opposition groups, civil society, and media have flagged possible irregularities.
In his November 1 statement, Archbishop Kleda said the October 12 presidential election had appeared to many Cameroonians as “a kairos”, and the favourable moment “to write a new page of our history.”
“By a very large majority, we expressed this desire, this will, this deep aspiration of our hearts and souls, by the massive choice of the candidate, the leader whom we deemed capable of satisfying this great hunger and quenching this immense thirst of the Cameroonian people,” he said.
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“Through the reactions of many after the proclamation of the results of the presidential election of 12 October 2025, many citizens who hoped for a better future are firmly convinced that their choice was not respected. It was scorned and, worse still, ignored; today, their disappointment is immense,” the Catholic Archbishop said.
The Local Ordinary of Douala, who started his Episcopal Ministry in Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Batouri in February 2001, outlined the dire socio-economic conditions that fuel public anger, saying, “The suffering and poverty of the interior of Cameroon are being loudly cried out. People are hungry because they have no work. The current general unemployment rate is estimated at 74%, and the 2024 poverty rate at around 37.7%.”
The Local Ordinary of Douala Archdiocese expressed concern that “10.1 million Cameroonians live on less than 1,000 CFA francs (US$1.76) per day.”
He said, “Cameroon counts more than six million citizens on the roads of exile or in illegal immigration … Our country lacks a reliable economic system that creates jobs. The energy deficit (water and electricity) does not allow for the development of our economic fabric.”
He further said, “People are anxious about this situation, which continues with no sign of hope. Citizens or families prefer to leave the country. People who take to the streets to cry out their despair express a rupture and call on the conscience of their leaders.”
Archbishop Kleda added, “If billions are spent to organize elections, money can also be found for the well-being of the population. We cannot turn a deaf ear or remain indifferent and insensitive to the distress signals they send us.”
He says, “Appeasement, and the preservation of peace and stability in our country today, depend on a collective awareness of these different crises that undermine our nation and generate the suffering and misery of Cameroonians, and on a firm will to provide appropriate solutions.”
“May the Holy Spirit enlighten our leaders and the Cameroonian people, and may the Virgin Mary, Patroness of Cameroon, intercede for us,” Archbishop Kleda implores.
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