Hiram Samuel Iyodi of the Cameroon Democratic Front (FDC) has pledged to ensure a ceasefire just three months in office, if elected. The youngest of the 13 provisional candidates retained by Elections Cameroon was speaking during his official presentation by FDC at Djeuga Palace in Yaounde on Thursday July 31, 2025.
While blaming the crisis that has claimed thousands of lives on the country’s leadership, he promised a new era.
Iyodi said those in power refused to listen to the voices of the people. He avert that, the first thing to do to solve the crisis is to hold a national dialogue with “our brothers and sisters” as early as October. He also proposed the holding of a sovereign national dialogue.
He pledged to “make sure that their (English-speaking Cameroonians) recommendations will be taken into account in the constitution that will be adopted after the national sovereign conference that will be held one year after the election”.
Iyodi declared that he will campaign across the North West and South West Regions to canvass for votes.
“During this campaign, in two or three weeks, we will be in the South West and by the end of August, we will be in the North West Region to talk with our brothers and sisters to find a common solution to this crisis,” Iyodi stated.
FDC rejects money to endrose Iyodi
It was declared at the meeting that, the FDC rejected money to endorse Iyodi who is anengineer and entrepreneur for the election. According to the party’s president, Denis Emilien Atangana, scores of other candidates, including those who put much money on the table, were rejected because they didn’t have the desired profile.
Atangana and the flag bearer of FDC revealed that they would fight corruption, mismanagement of public funds, power seizure and many other malpractices.
They also promised to create a special anti-corruption unit and a digital platform where Cameroonians at home and abroad can monitor state intuitions and their activities.
Samuel Iyodi, who was the president of the Patriotic Movement for the Prosperity of the People (MP3) party, added that his government would guarantee equal health coverage for all.
Diversity in ideology hindering coalition
Quizzed about the possibility of a coalition against the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), Iyodi confirmed his openness to endorse or collaborate with any other candidate who shares a similar vision with his party.
He nonetheless admitted that it is difficult to have a united opposition bloc against the CPDM due to the diversity in ideology.
Iyodi was part of Barrister Akere Muna’s campaign team during the 2018 presidential election. He said he is looking forward to writing a chapter in the history of Cameroon by becoming the youngest and only the third president since independence.
First published in NewsWatch newspaper No 215 of Monday, August 4, 2025.
