Cameroon’s opposition leader Maurice Kamto has been excluded from the list of candidates in the 12 October presidential election.
Only 13 of the 83 names submitted to the country’s electoral body Elecam were accepted.
Kamto came second in the 2018 elections amid allegations of fraud. He has not yet commented on the decision.
President Paul Biya, 92, the world’s oldest president, was included on the list and will seek an eighth term in office.
Defying calls to step down, he says he still has a lot to offer Cameroonians despite being in power for nearly 43 years.
Biya will be challenged by two former allies, Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari, who both come from the vote-rich north of the country.
Kamto was excluded because he was one of two candidates registered to represent the Manidem party.
Even though he had been officially adopted by the party’s ruling body, another candidate from a splinter group also registered himself under the party’s name.
Manidem president Anicet Ekane described Kamto’s exclusion as “arbitrary and provocative”.
“We call on all Cameroonians to show calm and restraint because for the moment, it is only an offside goal. This tackle from behind must be sanctioned by the Constitutional Council which we will turn to,” he added.
Those disqualified from the presidential race have two days to file a legal challenge.
Kamto was the candidate for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) in 2018 but the party was not allowed to endorse anyone this year due to its lack of elected representatives in parliament or local councils.
So Kamto recently joined the Manidem party, which does have local representation.
Renowned anti-corruption lawyer Akere Muna, Social Democratic Front (SDF) leader Joshua Osih, and lawmaker Cabral Libii are among the other candidates cleared to run.
Firebrand Mayor of Foumban Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya is the only female candidate on the list.
