In a recent address, Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako, leader of the Ambazonia project categorically dismissed the recent presidential elections in Cameroon as a “fraudulent ritual” and affirmed that the people of the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions that formed the former Southern Cameroon’s, achieved a 95 percent boycott.
The speech, a direct response to the post-election turmoil in Cameroon, served to reinforce the core Ambazonian stance that the territories they call Ambazonia are not part of Cameroon and that its institutions hold no legitimacy there.
Dr. Sako stated that reports from their defense and civil networks confirmed that the population preserved order and achieved a near-total boycott of what he termed, “LRC’s electoral charade.” He argued that this sends an unequivocal message to the world. “The world now knows the truth: we are not part of LRC (La République du Cameroun). We do not participate in its electoral shows, and we cannot be governed by those we did not choose,” he declared.`
His claims align with social media reports of controversy surrounding the integrity of election results in the restive Anglophone regions. For instance, a senior member of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, in the Northwest Region, Maurice Tiibam Kube, publicly resigned, denouncing official results from Njinikom as a “shameless fabrication” and a “mathematical miracle of fraud”.
Kube corroborated the boycott narrative, stating that fewer than 130 voters were seen at the polling centre in a locality where official figures claimed over 2,000 votes for President Biya.
The Ambazonian leader also addressed the emergence of Cameroonian opposition candidates like Issa Tchiroma, who broke ties with President Paul Biya to contest the election. Sako warned his people against being deceived by what he called “the empty promises of slave leaders.” He insisted that the conflict would not be resolved by politicians campaigning for regime change in Cameroon but only through direct dialogue between equals.
“For eight years we have lived through hell,” Sako stated, emphasizing that the struggle for Ambazonia is distinct from Cameroonian internal politics. He reiterated that the people of the Southern Cameroons, which he says were fraudulently annexed, have restored their sovereignty and will defend it. “Only in freedom shall we decide our destiny,” he affirmed.
President Sako outlined a clear path forward for his followers, urging them to continue non-violent resistance through measures like the weekly “Ghost Towns” and to document all violations of international law. He also called for intensified diplomacy to press their case for international recognition.
He had a stark warning for the international community, urging them not to condone the electoral process in Cameroon. “The world must not condone this, only to later condemn a military coup when it happens in Cameroon,” he said, drawing parallels to recent political shifts in other African nations like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
Finally, Dr. Sako issued a direct challenge to Cameroonians telling them that their salvation lies in their own hands. “If you refuse to defend your sovereign choice, forget about elections altogether,” he said, predicting deeper chaos for Cameroon regardless of who holds power in Yaoundé.
The address concluded with a powerful vision of a future for a free Ambazonia, which he described as politically awakened and united. “There is greater hope for peace, stability, opportunity, and development in a free Ambazonia than in a collapsing Cameroon,” Sako proclaimed, before urging his people to “Stand firm, stand united, document, boycott, organize, advocate.”
In his address, Sako also touched on campaign promises to release their leaders detained in prions around Cameroon. He said the release of prisoners is a necessary step, but he framed it as a corrective action, not a concession.
The statement asserts, “We acknowledge the campaign promises of some candidates to release our people from detention. But let me emphasize: the release of our comrades who were illegally imprisoned is not a resolution of the conflict—it is simply housekeeping before dialogue can begin, because they too must be part of the talks.” The statement further insists that “They should never have been arrested. Their release only corrects an injustice. Yet we will demand not only their freedom but also compensation and damages for them and their families.”
This position is rooted in a deep-seated distrust of Cameroon’s government. The Sako-led Interim Government has cautioned that it will monitor the conduct of anyone released, noting that “Ambazonia will judge every ex-prisoner by their deeds after release. History shows that LRC often recruits its enemies in prison and sends them back as agents of compromise.”
By Andrew Nsoseka