By Neba-Fuh
It's now 18 years since the Social Democrats launched their activities as a political party under the 
banner 'Social Democratic Front' in the grassfield country of Bamenda. That was on May 26 1990. Those who were witnesses to this history making event would recall the anxiety at that time. After more than two decades of Ahidjo's totalitarian rule during which he introduced the one party system, coupled with Biya's eight years of inaction and false promises, Cameroonians were yearning for change.
That change was heralded by the Social Democrats who painstakingly drafted a vision for a new Cameroon through their meticulously engineered manifesto. The 'draftsmen' were a melange of fine intellectuals, freedom fighters, civil servants businessmen etc. The then 'wind of democratic change' blowing across Africa, gave the opportunity for the Social Democratic Front to be launched.
The courage of a little known petty businessman would pay off. While the main architects of the Social Democratic Front were contemplating the risk of launching the party in an era when no one was sure what a brutal regime then could do to suppress the idea, Mr Ni John Fru Ndi mustered courage and took the front line in the party's delivery.
Amidst heavily armed soldiers, he went on and launched the SDF on the 26th of May 1990. Six Cameroonians lost their lives that day.
Today, more than one and a half decades after , we are called to assess whether the ideals set out initially in 1990 have stood the test of time. A party whose slogan of 'power to the people' captured the hearts of many Cameroonian in the early nineties, as evident by the 1992 Presidential elections, where Fru Ndi got the majority of votes. A party whose doctrine of change was so irresistible that even the kinsmen of the former and present dictators in Cameroon wanted to give it a try. That was the SDF that was presented to the average Cameroonian then.
As time would reveal, vested interests started shooting up from the leaders of the main opposition party in Cameroon. Conflict in ideas and personal ambition became amplified as the leaders refused to resist the temptation of putting their personal egos ahead of the common good of the Cameroonian people who had bestowed their trust in this political outfit. The subtle fight between the party's intelligentsia and its self proclaimed custodians became evident. The principle of its nationalism was put into question, as nepotism, ethnicity, regionalism were exposed by internal wrangling that could have been avoided, if the brains behind the party truly believed in their hearts that the party was for posterity , not a sole-proprietorship. The pioneer Secretary General and co-architect of the party - Late Prof Siga Asanga(relative to the Chairman Fru Ndi) was kicked off the party. Other architects like late Albert Mukong , Prof Carlson Anyangwe etc either became less enthusiastic about the whole SDF stuff or simply left. Barrister Muna Ben was another thorn of controversy in the SDF's flesh.
The controversial Article 8.2 whose motive of disciplining continuously recalcitrant militants was being applied to the letter, even to cases where dialogue and diplomacy were sufficient to solve the problem. A party that was presented to the Cameroonian people as a 'front' afloat with 'people power' to challenge the status quo, became a forum where discordant opinions were viewed as disloyalty. The SDF became synonymous to The Chairman. Party principles and ideals were sacrificed on the altar of personality cult-the same evil Cameroonians had set to annihilate in the present regime. The other side of the coin was often viewed as the bad side. Debates were stifled. The Mbah Ndam and co entrance narrowed the scope of the Chairman's exposure to varied opinions on issue before taking stances. Casualties increased- Article 8.2 fell on Prof Asonganyi( the former Secretary General of the SDF). Top militants of the West were also victims. A rallying point became a scattering source. Mediation was viewed as weakness and intolerance became the watchword. Scores were settled in the name of party discipline. Seminary-like discipline was adopted by NEC (National Executive Council) to solve political problems, resulting to a constant decline in the grass root support and allegiance.
Late Prof Ngwasiri's courage to try to interpret and implement the party's constitution in his capacity as Chairman of the National Advisory Committe(NAC) brought him at logger heads with the untouchables of the Party. Ben Muna yielded to the challenge to form his own party. At least, he too is a Chairman!
Most elected Parliamentarians and Mayors didn't meet the people's aspirations. They swindled micro-project money or council revenues leaving the masses wondering whether SDF is not a CPDM-clone. Mr Fru Ndi is now clocking 18years in power as SDF Chairman, just 8 years short of the time Biya has ruled. At least he can boast of elections that have kept him where he is even if any voice aimed at challenging him is tagged as 'betrayal' or 'disloyal'
The petty businessman of the eighties is now a business magnet- a sign that his 1990- 'courage' has paid-off.
Whatever the reason the public is aware of, concerning the formation of the SDF , one fact is clear, the Cameroonian populace wanted change- visionary change. Southern Cameroonians wanted to be heard and their case reviewed. SDF was like a launching pad on which most of the solutions of the problems plaguing this nation would take off immediately it took power, and the Southern Cameroons problem was foremost. It is no coincidence that most of the architects of SDF who were/are Southern Cameroons advocates at some point resigned or ignored the SDF. Their primordial vision was being altered. The vision Late Albert Mukong, Prof Anyangwe etc had.
Happy Anniversary SDF!
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