John Fru Ndi

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Ni John Fru Ndi (born 7 July 1941 ) is the founder and leader of Cameroon's Social Democratic Front (SDF).[1]

Fru Ndi was born in Baba II, near Bamenda in the Northwest Province of Cameroon.[1][2] The title of Ni, a marker of respect, was given to him when he was born.[1] He attended school in Cameroon at the Baforchu Basel Mission and the Santa Native Authority before going to Nigeria to study (at Lagos City College) and work in 1957.[1][2] In 1966, he returned to Cameroon and began selling vegetables.[2] He ran a bookstore in Bamenda, the Ebibi Book Centre,[1][2] headed a football club from 1979 to 1988, and headed the Lions Club International branch in Bamenda from 1987 to 1988. He was a candidate of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) in the Mezan Central constituency in the single-party 1988 parliamentary election, losing to a different RDPC list.[2]

Fru Ndi founded the SDF, an opposition party, in 1990.[1] He was elected as the SDF's National Chairman at its 1st Ordinary National Convention, held in May 1992.[3]

In the October 1992 presidential election, he made a strong showing against President Paul Biya, losing with 36% of the vote against Biya's 40% according to official results. This election was condemned as fraudulent by the opposition,[4] and Fru Ndi and third place opposition candidate Maigari Bello Bouba unsuccessfully sought for the election to be annulled by the Supreme Court.[5] Along with other opposition parties, the SDF chose to boycott the October 1997 presidential election.[6] Fru Ndi was re-elected as SDF Chairman at the party's fifth congress in April 1999, receiving 1,561 votes from delegates against 40 for his challenger, Chretien Tabetsing.[7]

Fru Ndi was the SDF candidate in the October 2004 presidential election; according to official results, he took second place with 17.40% of the vote against 70.92% for Biya.[8] He received his best results in Northwest Province (68.16%), followed by West Province (45.04%), Littoral Province (32.71%), and Southwest Province (30.59%).[9]

Fru Ndi alleged fraud in the July 2007 parliamentary election and called for it to be annulled;[10] in the election, the SDF won the second highest number of seats but was far behind the ruling RDPC. After the election, he said that Biya should recognize him as the official leader of the opposition.[11]

Fru Ndi said on November 14, 2007 that he would be willing to meet with Biya. He said that Biya had not invited him to meet and that he had tried to meet Biya several times, after Biya said on French television that Fru Ndi had not responded to his invitation.[12]


On the 12 April 2008, Fru Ndi reportedly called for a national day of mourning on the 21 April 2008 to commemorate the individuals who died during the 2008 Cameroonian anti-government protests and the "death of democracy" in Cameroon [13]. Fru Ndi indicated that he believed the 2008 changes to the Constitution of Cameroon were to permit Cameroon president Paul Biya to be life-long dictator of Cameroon and that the changes were to institutionalize the corruption, immunity, and inertia that characterizes Cameroon under the 26 years of rule Paul Biya[14].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sarli Sardou Nana, "A Brief Narrative on the Man Ni John Fru Ndi", SDF website.
  2. ^ a b c d e Nantang Jua, "Ndi, Ni John Fru", in Encyclopedia of the Developing World (2006), ed. Thomas M. Leonard, page 1116.
  3. ^ "Pioneer Members of the SDF National Executive Committee (1992-1999) elected at the 1st Ordinary National Convention of the Party, holding at the Catholic Mission Hall Big Mankon, Bamenda, May 21-26, 1992.", SDF website.
  4. ^ John Mukum Mbaku, "Decolonization, Reunification and Federation in Cameroon", in The Leadership Challenge in Africa: Cameroon Under Paul Biya (2004), ed. John Mukum Mbaku and Joseph Takougang, page 34.
  5. ^ "Chronology for Westerners in Cameroon", cidcm.umd.edu.
  6. ^ "Cameroon: IRIN-WA Special Briefing on Presidential Elections", October 11, 1997.
  7. ^ "Cameroon: Fru Ndi re -elected Social Democratic Front chairman", AFP, April 19, 1999.
  8. ^ Candidates list on 2004 election website.
  9. ^ 2004 candidate results page for Fru Ndi.
  10. ^ "Le SDF exige l’annulation des législatives et municipales au Cameroun", Panapress (Jeuneafrique.com), August 2, 2007 (French).
  11. ^ "Cameroon: Fru Ndi claims status as opposition leader", African Press Agency, August 23, 2007.
  12. ^ "L'opposant John Fru Ndi prêt à rencontrer Paul Biya", Panapress (afriquenligne.fr), November 15, 2007 (French).
  13. ^ Le Sdf appelle à une journée de deuil national
  14. ^ Le Sdf appelle à une journée de deuil national

[edit] External links