The Power of the Ballot? A Closer Look at Felix Agbor Balla’s Call for Registration and Voting.

Barrister Felix Agbor Balla

By Joseph FritzMcBobe
Special to The Independentist

Last week, Barrister Felix Agbor Balla posted a rallying call on his Facebook page and in a widely shared ABS video: “It is not about registering on the electoral roll…but registering and voting!” His message, filmed at the University of Buea, reached far beyond the campus gates, prompting Anglophone youth to kickstart renewal “from the ballot; not from the barrel.”
facebook.com

A Message of Hope—or an Illusion?

Balla, a former political prisoner and respected human rights advocate, has shifted his focus from agitation to institutional reform. Anchored in civic engagement, his message is simple: young people have both the right and duty to register and use their vote to demand accountability from government.

In his Facebook appeal, Balla doesn’t mince words. He says this is not a passive gesture: “You must register and vote. That’s the only way for your voice to be heard.” In his eyes, ballots—though imperfect—are tools for shaping policy, pressuring elected officials, and asserting Anglophone presence within the national narrative.

Gritty Reality on the Ground
Balla’s argument is bold, even hopeful. Yet it collides with a political landscape marred by decades of election interference and systematic corruption. Here’s the sobering picture:

Chronic electoral fraud. Elections in the English-speaking regions have consistently been manipulated—or outright rigged—by Cameroonian authorities.

State-controlled administration. From voting registers to security forces, electoral logistics are orchestrated by governors, CPDM operatives, and law enforcement loyal to Yaoundé.

Tokenistic decentralization. “Special Status” remains symbolic.

Real decision-making—on security, budgets, courts—is firmly in the hands of the central government.

In such an environment, registration is only the opening move. Voting becomes a ritual that mutes dissent and reconstructs legitimacy around the same system that has oppressed Ambazonians for years.

Balla vs. Biya: Belief or Blindness?

One cannot doubt Balla’s sincerity. He argues that boycotting elections means ceding space to the government, leaving reform to a silent majority he believes exists. But therein lies a risky bet: Can ballots break the cycle of rigged outcomes, or will they serve as a veneer to legitimize Biya’s rule?

By aligning with electoral participation, Balla entwines himself with a process that carries no guarantees—only the promise of disillusionment and diminished leverage. Inviting youth to invest their hope in such a system potentially deflects energy from more radical routes: international advocacy, legal challenge, or even the ignition of accelerated self-determination.

What It Means for Ambazonia’s Future
If Balla succeeds, perhaps a generation of voters will – for the first time – feel politically engaged and begin reshaping regional representation. But if elections repeat past patterns, his call may wound the movement’s momentum, offering false redemption at the price of radical renewal.

Ambazonian leader Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako has consistently rebuked any call to vote under Cameroonian authority. For him, independence is not a policy preference—it’s a prerequisite for being heard. In his view, ballots issued by a foreign regime are a cage, not a bridge.

Final Takeaway
Felix Agbor Balla is staking on ballots as tools for transformation. His message is sincere and rooted in faith—in the power of civic engagement to redefine political discourse.

But in a system that has repeatedly weaponised ballots against marginalized communities, that faith begs a question:

Are we empowering democracy—or painting tattoos on a prison wall?

Only time—and the conduct and results of upcoming elections—will tell whether Balla’s gamble was a leap toward inclusion or a step back into the shadows.

Joseph FritzMcBobe