Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of Cameroon
The petition filed by presidential candidate Akere Muna before the Constitutional Council raises the unprecedented possibility that President Paul Biya could be declared ineligible under Article 118 of the Electoral Code, on grounds of physical and cognitive dependence. Should such a decision be taken, Article 128 provides that the ruling party, the CPDM, would have just three days to nominate a replacement candidate.
This scenario opens up a pressing question: Who could the CPDM put forward?
In recent months, the role of Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister of State and Secretary-General at the Presidency, has drawn particular attention. While President Biya has remained absent from public engagements, Ngoh Ngoh has been the one receiving traditional chiefs, religious leaders, parliamentarians, and even government officials at the Unity Palace, effectively transforming the Presidency into a campaign headquarters by proxy according to Akere Muna.
Minister of State Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh greets the Archbishop of Bamenda, President of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, during an audience with Catholic leaders.
Such visibility and authority, although officially administrative, could be interpreted as a trial balloon for political succession. In the event of Biya’s disqualification, Ngoh Ngoh’s position as the regime’s gatekeeper, coupled with his control of state machinery, would likely make him a logical choice for the CPDM.
However, nominating Ngoh Ngoh would raise serious democratic and constitutional concerns. As Akere Muna’s petition highlights, “the very fact that unelected officials like Ngoh Ngoh have been exercising presidential powers is symptomatic of the “governance by proxy” that Article 118 seeks to prevent” For the CPDM to formalize this by making him its candidate could could be normal for the party but may raise concerns in opposition ranks.
Still, in the calculus of realpolitik, if Biya is struck down by the Constitutional Council, Ngoh Ngoh’s candidacy could serve as the regime’s emergency survival strategy. The Council’s ruling, therefore, will not only determine Biya’s fate but may also set the stage for the most consequential succession battle in modern Cameroon.