Cameroon: Hon. Ayah to race presidential election on PAP’s Ticket.



Hon.Ayah (middle) being led to venue of book launch

 By Christopher Ambe Shu
Out-spoken critic of the Biya regime, Hon Ayah Paul Abine who recently declared his candidature for this year’s presidential election and later  resigned from the ruling CPDM but kept his political platform secret for strategic reason, has made known the political party on whose ticket he will contest  Cameroon’s presidential election.

Hon. Ayah, MP for Akwaya-one of the least developed regions of Cameroon, is now a registered member of Peoples Action Party (PAP), founded by late Professor Ngoh Mukwelle Victor, in 1991, with headquarters in Kumba.

Hon. Ayah last Wednesday used the launch of his book “My Vision of a Born Again Cameroon” in Buea to announce his choice of PAP, a party  ,he disclosed ,he helped to form behind -the -scene.

“On the 27th of January this year I became a registered member of Peoples Action Party (PAP),”he disclosed to hundreds of people who turned-up for the launch at Cameroon Na-Bakassi,

Cross-section of audience at book launch

The disclosure of his political party put to rest a secret fight by some political party leaders to win Hon. Ayah over to their parties, since they describe him as a credible crowd-puller, and mover and shaker of Cameroon politics.

Reviewing the 50-page bilingual book (25 pages in English &25 pages in French), which is PAP’s manifesto, veteran journalist Victor Epie Ngome said it is loaded with true democratic values. “It is big ideas, little book”, he remarked, adding that the book is a nation-builder, which every Cameroonian should have as a companion.

One clergyman, who had the privilege of reading, read the book before its launch, told the audience: “God has put a great vision for a new Cameroon in Hon. Ayah’s heart”. He thought that “if we can realize what we see in the book we will live in a paradise-like society in the near future”

For his part, Mamat Souleman, former vice president of Cameroon’s leading opposition party, the SDF, and now with APF party, said Hon. Ayah seems to be a true change catalyst.



People line -up to buy Hon. Ayah's book



 “Change is not just political leadership; it is the will of the people. What they need is just courage. Change must come to Cameroon”, Souleman said, hailing Hon. Ayah’s courage and political blue-print.

Professor of history, Julius Ngoh of University of Buea also had kind words for Hon. Ayah, noting that as a historian he (Prof.Ngoh) attended the book launch so that in 20 years he will be able to tell the story as it happened. He commended Hon. Ayah’s fluency in English and French,

In his reply, Hon. Ayah who recently declared his assets as required by law, said when elected President of Cameroon at the forth-coming presidential election he must  implement his vision of a born-again Cameroon, which will be an 11-federated state with strict separation of powers. He said his cabinet will have at most 20 ministers (10 men and ten women).

Cutting waste of national resources, solving the Anglophone problem, amendment of the constitution, will be some of his priority concerns, it emerged.

He regretted that the CPDM regime is imposing poverty on citizens when there is evidence that Cameroon is abundantly blessed with resources, so that it could easily manipulate them.

“Only one thing is most important in this world: telling the truth. Nobody can disprove the truth; you can only disprove lies”, the author cum presidential candidate observed.

He regretted that out of 15 presidential candidates already known he was the only government target for “destruction”.

He announced that in the near future he will organize a massive rally in Buea, before proceeding to other towns with his vision for born-again Cameroon.

Hon. Ayah, who recently received a standing ovation at an all-Southwest Regional Forum  intended to set a new pace for unity and development for the region, urged Cameroonians to vote according to their consciences.

He said more than 95% of Cameroonians want change but don’t want to work for it. “If you want change you have to work for it”, he challenged the audience, hinting that PAP will create a bank account for financial contributions from sympathizers and supporters.