Another SDF bigwig resigns

The SDF has yet been hit again with another resignation. Barely a month after the party’s Secretary General, Elisabeth Tamanjong resigned from her duties, Aka Amuam; two-term member of parliament for Menchum South, decamped to the ruling CPDM party, yesterday, Sunday March 22.

He made the resignation public during a press conference he organised at Hotel des Deputes in Yaoundé.

Addressing the media, Amuam invoked the same sentiments that led to Tamanjong’s resignation as reasons for his departure from the party. “I have observed for over 24 years of my militancy in the SDF that the party has drifted from its original ideologies and don’t intend to continue with its current modus operandi,” Amuam told reporters.

He did not however state the details or the particular ideologies the SDF has departed from.

Describing himself as a prodigal son, referring to his leaving the CPDM earlier to join the SDF at formation, Amuam quipped “You can call me a prodigal son if you wish, because I am going back to my original party, the CPDM which I belonged to before joining the SDF.”

He denied claims from the public that his resignation from the SDF is because he’s hungry for CPDM money considering the fact that he’s been out of parliament for two terms.

In his own words he said, “My resignation cannot be linked to hunger because I am a trained banker, a sportsman and former international referee. Looking at me you’ll not find hunger on my face; I am merely resigning because the party no longer practices its original ideologies.”

Asked what impact his resignation may have within the SDF, Amuam told reporters that since he left parliament in 2007, the SDF has never won any election again in his constituency. He qualified himself as a charismatic politician who reaped a lot for the SDF. He said that his departure from the party would develop more cracks in the party.

He noted that even though he wasn’t a parliamentarian anymore, he was still a member of the SDF National Executive Council, NEC up to the moment of his resignation.

He was, however, somewhat furious at a reporter’s suggestion that in spite of those who have left the party, the SDF continues to wax strong “What do you mean by waxing strong despite several other resignations?

At the beginning, the SDF had 48 parliamentarians, later they had about 20 and now they have barely 14, is that what you mean by waxing stronger? Do you know that the party does not currently have a single Senator from the North West which is its strongest base? What then do you mean by waxing strong?” he questioned.

Asked to comment on the role SDF chairman, John Fru Ndi contributed in his resignation, Amuam denied narrowing it to the chairman. “Remember Mr. Fru Ndi is not my friend, he is the chairman of the SDF and I still owe him the same respect I owed him before now. I would not like to make it a personal difference. I have resigned from the SDF and I don’t hold any individual responsible. I don’t agree with the party’s ideologies and not any individual,” he vouched.

Meanwhile, on hand to receive him into his new party were CPDM Central Committee delegate for Momo, Egoh Ringo and CPDM sub-section president for Lekie East, Alex Ngouma.

Egoh Ringo then proceeded to decorating him with a CPDM muffler and other party paraphernalia, publicly welcoming him back into the party. There was no immediate response from officials of the SDF about Amuam’s resignation.

And Amuam himself didn’t say whether he spoke with the party’s hierarchy to inform it of his resolve before going public with his resignation announcement.