Fru Ndi: change is at your door

Written by Eugene N. Nforngwa

Thursday, 22 September 2011 11:59

Fru_Ndi Bamenda—John Fru Ndi, the chairman and presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Front, has said Cameroonians can bring about change during the coming presidential election if they decide to do so.

He will be preaching federalism, the fight against corruption and good governance, beginning in the Far North regional capital Maroua, where he would launch his campaign on Sunday, 25 September.

Fru Ndi and the SDF are entering the race rather late, after spending many months fighting fruitlessly for wide-ranging electoral reforms. The party was forced to pick Fru Ndi for the race without calling a convention as required by party rules.

Fru Ndi plans to tour all ten regions in 13 days, in a sprint campaign headed by Osih Joshua the deputy vice chairman. The party chairman’s campaign tour will wind-up in Bamenda, where he would vote.

Fru Ndi, 70, is in the race for the third time in 19 years and plans not to run again, whether he wins or loses. His candidacy had been contentious within the party in the run up to the deadline to apply.

Coming out of a meeting to draw up the party’s strategy for the election, Fru Ndi said the outcome of the poll is in the hands of Cameroonians. It is a message he has held to more recently with regards to major national issues.

“Your future is in your hands,” he told reporters after the meeting attended by members of the party’s National Executive Council, mayors, parliamentarians and the shadow cabinet.

“If you need the change it will come. The only thing is for you to be ready for the change when it does come. We are working for it to come and for us the change is at your door.”

Details of the SDF campaign team were still being finalized and party officials said they were keeping their strategy under wraps.

“We are putting things together and setting up committees including NEC and none-NEC members,” said Osih.

“We also looked at the format of our communication and I will want to tell you that I am very confident and comfortable from our discussions that come October 9, 2011, Cameroonians will have a new president in the name of Ni John Fru Ndi” said Osih Joshua.

The party’s plan is to set up a three-year transitional government to draw up a new federal constitution and set the grounds for a good electoral system to guarantee free and fair elections henceforth.

“This will be my last time to run for presidency,” Fru Ndi said.