Appointment of Senators:Opposition Party Militant Under Threats for Refusing Appointment by Regime

Youmo Koupit Adamou

In a rather questionable decision on May 8, 2013, one of the 30 alternate senators that president Biya appointed is Youmo Koupit Adamou, militant of the Cameroon Democratic Union, the CDU of Adamou Ndam Njoya.

Youmo Koupit Adamou headed the CDU list for the April 14 first ever election of senators in the West Region but his party did not win. Surprisingly, barely a couple of days after the proclamation of the official results of the election, Biya appointed a CDU militant as alternate senator.

The appointment provoked a Political Bureau meeting of the CDU in Yaounde on May 9, 2013 where the appointment was condemned and rejected.

In a press conference in Yaounde on Monday May 13, 2013, Youmo Koupit Adamou revealed his life is under threats ever since he rejected the appointment. The disdain CDU political bureau member revealed further that he has been promised CFA 25 million F should he accept the appointment.

Though Mr Koupit did not reveal the identities of those who promised him CFA 25 Million F, he described their move as stupid. The CDU militant explained that on Sunday some purported journalists came to his residence and told him “We know that if you resign from your party you could have some difficulties but we are ready to give you some money to facilitate your life.” That money, he says, was FCFA 25 million.

 “I reaffirm my unperturbed militancy towards the Cameroon Democratic Union. I remain Youmo Koupit Adamou, Politic Bureau Member of the great CDU party in which I was born and through which I bring my modest contribution to the construction and consolidation of our democracy” , he said.

Mr Koupit, 45, said he cannot accept Biya’s appointment when his regime manipulated elections in the West leading to their defeat.  The CDU petitioned the Supreme Court to cancel the elections in the West Region, but the court rejected the petition. The court decision left the CDU very bitter with the CPDM.

Worst still, Mr. Koupit Adamou was appointed alternate senator to Sultan Ibrhahim Mbombo Njoya of the CPDM. Ibrhahim Mbombo Njoya and his cousin, Adamou Ndam Njoya, National Chairman of the CDU also haven’t shared a good relationship and do not share the same political ideology.

The Cameroon Democratic Union has never collaborated with the Biya regime since its creation in the 1990s.

The National Chairman of the CDU, Adamou Ndam Njoya described the appointment of his militant as an attempt to destabilize his party.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi