From Hope to Silence: How the SDF Lost Its Voice in Cameroon’s 2025 Elections

by All About Cameroon Today

Joshua Osih

From Hope to Silence: How the SDF Lost Its Voice in Cameroon’s 2025 Elections

Once the fiery voice of Cameroon’s opposition, the Social Democratic Front (SDF) — the party that once brought the nation to a standstill under the charismatic leadership of Ni John Fru Ndi — is today a shadow of its former self. In the October 12, 2025 presidential elections, the SDF, now led by Joshua Osih, failed to make it into even the top five performing political parties.

This outcome has left many Cameroonians shocked and disappointed. Even in the midst of widespread reports of electoral fraud and irregularities, the party’s performance was too poor to ignore. For many who still remember the thunderous rallies of the 1990s, this decline feels like a national tragedy — a fall from grace for a party once considered the heartbeat of Cameroon’s democratic struggle.

Adding to the controversy, diaspora activist John Mbah Akoro, based in Maryland, USA, accused Osih of collecting 1 billion CFA francs to stay out of any opposition coalition and to promptly congratulate President Paul Biya once the results were announced. Whether true or not, these allegations deeply fractured the trust many supporters had in the SDF leadership.

Could this be the reason for SDF's poor performance? The party’s leadership reportedly took legal steps to sue Akoro in Maryland — Cameroonians are still waiting for updates on that supposed court case.

The SDF had presented one of the most ambitious and people-centered manifestos of the campaign season. Yet, with no strong coalition, weak grassroots mobilization, and questionable strategic decisions, it watched its relevance fade further into history.

Today, Cameroonians are asking: What really happened to the SDF? Should a once-great party that stood for justice, democracy, and social change simply vanish without answers? The people deserve clarity, accountability, and hope that the struggle Ni John Fru Ndi began will not die in silence.

Cameroon watches and waits.

#CameroonElections2025 #SDF #JoshuaOsih #NiJohnFruNdi #CameroonPolitics