John Fru Ndi, the Social Democratic Front’s (SDF) longtime founder and leader, passed away last night in Yaoundé. His passing represents the end of an era and a tremendous loss to the political landscape of the nation.
“It is with sadness that we announce the transition into eternal glory of the national president of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Ni John Fru Ndi, on June 12 at 11:30 p.m. in Yaoundé, after a protracted illness,” said Joshua Osih, the party’s first vice-president, in a statement released early on Tuesday, June 13.
President Paul Biya’s longtime rival and well-known politician Fru Ndi had previously run against him in elections. Fru Ndi, who was 82 years old, had been suffering health problems, and in recent months, worries about his wellbeing had been spreading. In the time that he was recovering from surgery in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, Joshua Osih had taken over as the SDF’s commander.
Born on July 7, 1941, in Bamenda, in the North-West region of Cameroon, an anglophone area plagued by a deadly conflict since 2016, Fru Ndi, affectionately known as “the chairman,” led the SDF since its establishment in 1990. In 2018, he made the decision not to run for the presidential election and announced his intention to step down as the leader of the SDF during the congress scheduled from July 27 to 29.
Fru Ndi came in second place behind President Paul Biya, who had been in office since 1982, with 36% of the vote in the first multiparty presidential election in Cameroon that year.
The opposition leader declared himself the legitimate victor and fiercely criticised massive electoral fraud. Due to the difficult political environment at the time, his home, the Ntarikon Palace in Bamenda, was under constant observation for several months.
John Fru Ndi’s death ushers in a new chapter in Cameroon’s political history by leaving behind a legacy of ferocious opposition and unwavering loyalty to his party and principles. Now that a notable figure has passed away, the country is in mourning and considering the effects of his passing.
