Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has strongly condemned the declaration of 92-year-old Paul Biya as winner of the recent presidential election in Cameroon, describing it as a “shameful assault on democracy and a brazen fraud against the people.”
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Frank said the announcement of Biya’s victory was “a fabrication and a clear subversion of the people’s will,” warning that the world must not remain silent while democracy in Cameroon “is strangled in broad daylight.”
“The so-called results announced by the regime are a fabrication and a clear subversion of the people’s will,” Frank stated.
“The world must not stand by while democracy in Cameroon is strangled in broad daylight.”
He decried the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters who took to the streets to reject what he called “the daylight robbery of their votes,” noting that security forces have responded with gunfire, brutality, and mass arrests.
“Innocent Cameroonians are being killed by their own security forces simply for demanding that their votes count. This bloodshed must end immediately,” he said.
“Those who ordered and carried out these killings must be held personally accountable before international law. The ICC and the UN must investigate and ensure that justice is done.”
Frank, who also serves as Ambassador of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to East Africa and the Middle East, criticised the African Union (AU) for what he described as “a shameful silence in the face of blatant electoral robbery.”
“By refusing to speak out or act, the AU is enabling tyranny and helping destroy democracy on the continent,” he warned.
“It is this silence and hypocrisy that fuel coups and instability in Africa. When people are denied peaceful paths to change, they are pushed to desperation. The time has come for the AU to choose between complicity and conscience.”
He urged the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and other democratic nations to impose targeted sanctions on Biya’s regime, including travel bans, asset freezes, and the suspension of military assistance.
“The international community must make it clear that those who rig elections, kill citizens, and destroy democratic institutions will pay a heavy price. Anything less would embolden other dictators across Africa to repeat this travesty.”
Frank insisted that the true winner of the Cameroonian election remains Issa Tchiroma Bakary, whose mandate, he said, “reflects the genuine will of the people.”
“The international community must recognise this fact and pressure Paul Biya to step down,” he declared.
He called on Cameroonians not to surrender their future to “a regime that survives on repression and deceit.”
“To the brave people of Cameroon: your courage in the face of tyranny is a beacon of hope. Defend your mandate, stand for your democracy, but remain peaceful and united. The world is watching, and history is on your side.”
Frank warned that failure by the global community to act decisively would set a dangerous precedent for the continent.
“If the world fails to act now, it would send a message that rigging elections, silencing opponents, and murdering citizens carry no consequence. This must not happen. The time to act is now.”
He concluded by calling for collective international action to defend democracy and justice in Africa.