Leadership clash resurfaces in ELECAM

Tension mounts between Board Members of ELECAM and the Directorate General of Elections Cameroon following reports that the Electoral Board President, Samuel Fonkam Azu’u has threatened to go ahead to install newly appointed officials of ELECAM if the Director General of Elections, Mohaman Sani Tanimou refuses to install them.

The tension started rising when Mohaman Sani Tanimou said he could not install the newly appointed officials because Board members went ahead to appoint them without seeking for his approval as stipulated by Section 30, Article 3 of the Electoral Code which says that “officials of the Regional branches shall be appointed by the Electoral Board, on the recommendations of the Director General of Elections.”

Board members justify their action saying “mindful of the non-execution by the Director General of Elections of resolution N° 0153/ELECAM/CE of 25 April 2014 on the appointment of officials of Regional Delegations of Elections Cameroon.”

They on the other hand argued that, there is pressing need for the appointment of new officials following the sending of some officials on retirement at regional delegations.

On his part, Mohaman Sani Tanimou says that apart from the fact that Board Members did not wait for his recommendation before carrying out the appointment as stipulated by the Electoral Code, the appointments are marred by irregularities given for instance that the newly appointed Regional Delegate of ELECAM in the Far North, Ali Mamidou is a brought up child of a Board member.

The Director General of Elections further picked out irregularities in the appointment of some officials of the various regional branches arguing that the Head of administrative and financial service of the Centre Regional Delegation, Fouda Atangana Yannick is an adopted child of a Board member.

He equally illustrates that the Head of Service for Electoral Operations and Referendums for the East Region, Mabou Jean was appointed without first being recruited as a staff in violation of the law which says only a recruited staff can be appointed.