Michael Akamin Nkeng, Mayor of Muyuka has chickened out of the race to the Fako II (Muyuka) CPDM Section Presidency.

Probably succumbing to pressure mounted on him by the Musonge-created Fako consensus committee, Nkeng withdrew his candidacy, but maintained his list.
He had dared the Lifaka-led committee Thursday, September 24, even after long hours of negotiations.

His bid to run for the CPDM top office in Muyuka was at variance with the wish of the consensus committee set up by CPDM politburo member, Senator Peter Mafany Musonge.

Though the circular of the National President of the CPDM calling for the reorganisation of the basic organs of the party makes Mayors and Parliamentarians eligible to run for any office, the Fako elite think that it is better for such elected officials to leave the political space for others.

To Nkeng’s supporters, he has all the political shrewdness to run for the office; further arguing that the reorganisation activity is a grassroots exercise which must not be dictated by the elite in Yaoundé who evidently are driven by their own political interests.

For the men’s wing, three lists were submitted. Mayor Nkeng, Mbonde Barnabas Ebule and the incumbent (interim) section president, Landjinou Djomgoue Lazare each headed a list.

Close to seven hours of negotiations between the trio and the Lifaka commission yielded no fruits. While Landjinou Djomgoue and Mbonde Barnabas settled for a consensus list, Mayor Nkeng Michael refused to back out of his Fako II CPDM Presidency aspirations.

The Musonge-headed CPDM Adhoc Disciplinary committee had in 2014 reproached the Muyuka Mayor for purported acts of indiscipline within the party. Some militants in Muyuka say it will be unacceptable to have someone who is indiscipline to head the party.

His refusal to heed to advice from the politburo member could also be interpreted as an act of indiscipline.For fear of the unknown, Nkeng on a second thought engaged the consensus commissioners into further talks. At about 2:00pm on Tuesday, September 29, he dumped his ambitions to run for sub section presidency.

He, however, weakened the Landjinou-led list by pulling over to head his list, former Mayor, Chief Mokoto Njie Johannes.
Mokoto was Vice President on Landjinou’s list, but now replaces Nkeng as head of the opposing list.

Landjinou and Chief Mokoto will therefore have to face the electorate, except the unexpected happens before Election Day. Supporters of Landjinou hold strongly that they cannot go into any consensus with any list that has the backing of Mayor Nkeng. They say oil and kerosene should not be mixed because the outcome will never be pleasant.