Three Roads to Yaoundé: Osih, Buba Maigari, and Muna – What Their Politics Mean for Ambazonia

Joshua Osih was the only oposistion member of parliament among 62 who signed a letter to the US Congress urging Washington to prosecute and repatriate Southern Cameroonians suspected of supporting independence.

By The Independentist Editorial desk

In the lead-up to another election season in La République du Cameroun, three familiar figures are once again in the spotlight: Joshua Osih of the SDF, Buba Maigari of the UNDP, and Akere Muna of Univers. Each has built a public image around service, reform, and a better future. Each claims to represent an alternative to the ruling CPDM. But their records, choices, and political pathways tell a more complicated story—one that Ambazonians will weigh carefully.

Joshua Osih – Opposition Leader with a Controversial Record
Joshua Osih has positioned himself as the heir to the SDF’s reformist legacy, promising governance that is more transparent, accountable, and inclusive. His supporters point to his work on economic and electoral issues in parliament.

Yet in 2021, Osih made a decision that still raises eyebrows. That year, 62 Members of Parliament signed a letter to the US Congress urging Washington to prosecute and repatriate Southern Cameroonians suspected of supporting independence. Of the 62, 61 were CPDM members. The lone “opposition” MP among them was Osih.

To his critics, that signature was more than a misstep—it was a public alignment with the regime’s hard line on Ambazonia. To his supporters, it was a stand for unity and law. Either way, it is a choice voters will not forget when he brings his manifesto to their constituencies.

Buba Maigari – The Veteran of Coalition Politics
Buba Maigari has led the UNDP for decades, at times holding ministerial posts and using his platform to advocate for development in Cameroon’s north. His supporters see him as a steady hand who has kept the UNDP relevant in a political system dominated by the CPDM.

But that relevance has often come through political accommodation. The UNDP’s role as a coalition partner has meant Maigari rarely challenges the core policies of the Biya regime, especially on sensitive issues like the Ambazonian question. While this has ensured access to government resources, it has also left him open to criticism that he has traded opposition for survival.

Akere Muna – The Reformist Who Stayed Within the Rules
Akere Muna’s career as a lawyer and anti-corruption advocate has earned him respect at home and abroad. He speaks of building institutions, tackling graft, and creating a more just society.

However, Muna’s political steps have largely stayed within the constitutional framework of La République. He has not directly challenged the legal basis of Cameroon’s absorption of Southern Cameroons—a union for which no treaty exists. For those seeking structural change, his approach appears too cautious. For others, it is the only pragmatic way to bring reform in a tightly controlled political environment.

Who Will They Deliver To Their Constituents?
Based on their records:

Osih may deliver reforms within the existing state but is unlikely to champion Ambazonian sovereignty.

Buba Maigari will likely maintain a path of negotiated influence within the CPDM-led system.

Akere Muna will focus on governance reforms without reopening the sovereignty question.

Ambazonia’s View Through Dr. Sako
For Ambazonia’s leadership under Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako, the assessment is firm. He argues that participation in La République’s politics is not a path to freedom for Southern Cameroons, because no treaty of union exists between the two territories.

“Engaging in that system,” Dr. Sako has said, “is collaboration with a colonial framework. Our struggle is for the restoration of our sovereignty, grounded in international law and the historical record—not for a place in a parliament that denies our existence.”

His view is not the only one in circulation, but it is the one rooted in Ambazonia’s independence movement, and it remains the guiding principle for those committed to full sovereignty.

The People’s Decision
As campaigns intensify, Ambazonians will decide whether these three political paths—reform within the system, coalition accommodation, or rule-bound governance—serve their future. What cannot be ignored is the record.

When Osih, Maigari, and Muna arrive with their manifestos, the people will measure them not only by what they promise, but by where they have stood when the stakes were highest.

The Independentist Editorial desk