Cameroon Opposition Party Elects Joshua Osih As Its New Leader.

By Caroline Ameh

The main opposition party of Cameroon, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), has elected Joshua Osih as its new leader. The decision was made during the party’s elective convention held on Sunday.

Joshua Osih, previously serving as the party’s vice-president, now steps into the role of leadership, succeeding the late founder of the movement, John Fru Ndi, who passed away in June. John Fru Ndi had presided over the SDF since its inception in 1990.

Osih’s election as the new leader came with a decisive mandate, as he secured a resounding 62 percent of the vote during the party’s convention. He is set to guide the SDF through the upcoming 2025 elections.

Despite its prominence as a leading opposition party in Cameroon, the SDF currently holds only five seats out of the 180 available in the parliament. This marks a significant decline from its previous representation of 18 seats in the legislature.

Joshua Osih, who had previously represented the SDF as its candidate in the 2018 presidential election, faced stiff competition and ultimately finished fourth with a modest share of just over 3 percent of the vote.

Cameroon’s political landscape has long been dominated by the Cameroonian People’s Democratic Movement, led by the incumbent President Paul Biya, who is now 90 years old. President Biya has been in power since 1982, presiding over the country’s affairs for decades.

The leadership transition within the SDF and Osih’s election as the new leader are significant developments in Cameroon’s political scene, especially considering the challenges posed by the ruling party’s extended hold on power. President Biya has faced international scrutiny, with allegations of repressing the opposition, journalists, and civil society leaders frequently raised by the United Nations and various international non-governmental organizations.