By Senior Journalist ,Ellie Smith
At the recently concluded extraordinary congress of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), held in Yaoundé, the party elected Joshua Osih as its flagbearer for the October 2025 presidential election. This will be the second time that Osih, affectionately known as “Josh,” will carry the torch of Cameroon’s most prominent opposition party in parliament. At its peak, the SDF was the largest opposition both within and outside the legislature.
The SDF is arguably the most significant political movement to emerge in Cameroon since reunification. Its founding leader, the late John Fru Ndi, is widely regarded as the country’s most influential post-reunification opposition figure. Fru Ndi holds the record as the only political leader, both pre- and post-reunification, to have travelled across Cameroon 22 times, a testament to his grassroots mobilisation. This legacy sets a high bar for Joshua Osih, who remained loyal to Fru Ndi until his passing. In a poignant moment that underscores their close relationship, Fru Ndi reportedly passed away in Osih’s arms, smiling and joking as he always did—demonstrating his characteristic courage even in his final moments.
Osih, however, is not merely Fru Ndi’s successor; he has built his own political pedigree. According to Wikipedia, Joshua Namagui Osih was born on 9th December 1968 in Kumba and joined the SDF in March 1991 in Douala. In 2002, he was elected regional chairman for the South West region, and in 2006, he became the party’s second vice-chairman. He was later elected first vice-chairman in both 2012 and 2018. At the party’s extraordinary convention in 2018, which concluded its primaries, Osih was chosen as the SDF’s presidential candidate for that year’s election.
As the party’s flagbearer in 2018, Osih carried the hopes of millions of Cameroonians who had never witnessed a democratic transition since independence. Many believed that election was the last real chance for democratic change, aiming to free the country from the grip of Paul Biya, who at the time was 86 years old and had ruled Cameroon for 35 years—representing a regime that had lasted six decades.
Osih made history in 2013 when he became the first Anglophone Cameroonian to be elected as a Member of Parliament in Douala, in the Littoral region. Until 24th February 2018, he served as vice-president of the SDF. He is also the chairman of Camport PLC in Cameroon.
The Takeaway from the SDF’s Extraordinary Congress.
Beyond electing Osih as its presidential candidate, the congress also set out the party’s vision for governance under the banner of Our Mission to Rescue Cameroon in Five Steps:
1. 16 breakthrough measures from day one
2. 100 days to end violence in the North West and South West regions
3. One year to restore the dignity of the people of the Greater North
4. Three years to rebuild institutions
5. One term for the socio-economic transformation of the country.
While these are crucial commitments, the SDF must ensure they resonate with people in rural and largely oral communities who may not engage with written policy documents. The party must find innovative ways to communicate these pledges in a manner that is accessible and compelling to the grassroots.
Additionally, Osih should prioritise building a broad opposition coalition. Rather than competing on all fronts, the SDF should consider strategic alliances by withdrawing candidates in areas where other opposition parties are stronger. This approach was successfully employed in Nigeria, where Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) formed a coalition that ultimately unseated the long-dominant People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015. Similarly, in Senegal, the opposition has demonstrated the effectiveness of unity in challenging entrenched power structures.
For Cameroon’s opposition to stand any real chance against the ruling party, unity and strategic collaboration will be essential. As Osih embarks on his presidential bid, it is imperative that he studies these examples and forges alliances that maximise the opposition’s electoral strength.
I wish him well, but the work must begin now.
