In brief
In a bold declaration, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the opposition leader of Cameroon, has announced himself the winner of the recent presidential elections held on October 12. Despite the ruling party's dismissal of his claims, he insists on the integrity of the electoral results and urges his supporters to protect their votes. Tchiroma Bakary faces the reality of potential legal challenges as the ruling party contends that only the Constitutional Council can validate election results, raising concerns over possible unrest in a politically charged environment.
Cameroon's opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has declared himself the winner of the 12 October elections, has told the BBC that he will not accept a stolen vote, with the results due to be announced on Monday.
He says his team has compiled the overall picture based on results from individual polling stations, so there is no doubt.
Tchiroma Bakary, 76, is a former government minister who broke ranks with President Paul Biya, 92, who is seeking another term after 43 years in power.
The ruling party has dismissed Tchiroma Bakary's victory claims and several officials have described it as illegal because only the Constitutional Council can proclaim official results.
Tchiroma Bakary said he had urged his supporters to defend their votes, adding: We will never accept their votes being stolen by anyone.
He said he was not concerned about being arrested or being put in jail, but I know that I have already won the presidential election.
There is no doubt, no shadow of doubt whatsoever. My victory is undeniable, he told the BBC in an interview.
He said the ruling CPDM party had their backs against the wall and could not accept the reality of the vote, and challenged them to show if what he was saying about the election was wrong.
He defended his decision to declare himself the winner, insisting that the law does not prevent us from so doing.
Tensions over the delayed announcement of the election results have been growing, sparking fears of post-electoral violence in a country already rocked by a separatist conflict in the Anglophone regions and Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North region.
