In a significant development in Cameroon’s presidential race, human rights lawyer and former Anglophone activist Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla has publicly endorsed candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, citing a promise to release Anglophone detainees within three months if elected.
Agbor Balla joined Tchiroma on the campaign trail in Guider and Garoua in the North Region, highlighting the urgency of addressing the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
“He assured me that within the next three months he will release all our brothers in detention,” Agbor Balla told supporters, referring to hundreds of Anglophone activists, including Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Wilfred Tassang, and eight other members of the self-proclaimed Ambazonia interim government, many of whom are serving life sentences or awaiting trial.
Agbor Balla, once the leader of the Anglophone Consortium that initiated the 2016 crisis, emphasized the significance of Tchiroma’s public apology to Anglophones, calling it “a courageous and humane act of leadership.”
He praised Tchiroma for acknowledging the pain and marginalization endured by many citizens, describing it as an example of humility and moral clarity “rarely seen in our political culture.”
Beyond the apology, Agbor Balla highlighted Tchiroma’s vision for a transitional government aimed at national reconciliation.
“His proposal for a limited transitional mandate reflects the understanding that Cameroon must first heal, reconcile, and reform its institutions before it can truly prosper,” he said.
Agbor Balla stressed that his endorsement was principled rather than partisan, rooted in the belief that “our country’s salvation lies in dialogue, inclusion, and the moral courage to admit past wrongs and chart a new path forward.”
During campaign events, Agbor Balla consistently reinforced his message: “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.” He told reporters that he joined Tchiroma to promote constructive engagement, dialogue, and collaboration as essential for building “a peaceful, united, and democratic Cameroon.”
Addressing the Anglophone crisis directly, Agbor Balla confirmed that discussions with Tchiroma focused on the conflict’s resolution. “Tchiroma has expressed his commitment to pursuing dialogue, justice, and reconciliation as the only sustainable path forward,” he said, signalling a potential turning point in Cameroon’s long-standing political and humanitarian impasse.
This endorsement marks a notable moment in the election, bringing a key figure from the Anglophone movement into the fold of a leading presidential campaign and raising expectations for urgent reforms in the country’s most troubled regions.
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