Urgent Need To Be Exemplary

Just like elections, electoral promises come and go, but the country remains, with its realities stay. Candidates who convince voters through boisterous declarations especially about their certainty to win are hardly always on the right track. During campaign periods, the need to remain positive about the chances of winning is justifiably strong and everyone who is legally into the race, can legitimately hope to lift the trophy at the end of the days. Reasons why such persons are called presidential hopefuls, in the case of the post of the President of the Republic, as was the case with the 12 October, 2025 polls that took place in the country last Sunday.     
Since in a democratic society voting and the declaration of the victor and the vanquish must be within the ambit of the law. It is thus important that the rules should apply to all. It also means that anybody vying for such a top job as the President of the Republic should be fully aware of the responsibilities that he/she carries and act accordingly. Consequently, widespread information yesterday 14 October, 2025 that one of the candidates at the election, former Cabinet Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, is claiming victory is more than worrisome. A number of reasons make the declaration disturbing. Firstly, in any contest where many people are involved, one of the contestants cannot suddenly stand up to say he has won while the others are still waiting for the official channels to know their fate. That certainly rings a bell about some foul play, which should leave any common observer wondering at the motives behind such an action.     
Secondly, concerning the Presidential election, all the candidates knew beforehand that the proclamation of results in the country remains the Constitutional Council’s duty. Self-declaration of victory may sound like a candidate who is still on a campaign trail telling his followers that he will win! Given that the election is over and the competent bodies are about to start tallying the results, it certainly appears curious to hear that someone has won even before the results are proclaimed. People might already be thinking of what he would have happened in the past under these circumstances! Especially when it comes to respecting the laws of the Republic! But that might now be a thing of the past and several “Messiahs” are already out to say what they can do to make the country better. In all of that, everyone gains if the rules of the game are respected and the example is given by those who aspire to govern the country. Finally, it is clearly misleading in a context like that of Cameroon...