A man, allegedly attempting to appoint himself Vice President of La Republique du Cameroun on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, was apprehended on the premises of CRTV.
According to reports circulated by whistleblower N’Zui Manto, a man identified as Sitchom Johann allegedly arrived at CRTV with a fake presidential decree naming him Vice President of the Republic. The document reportedly sought to create a position that would place him directly in line to succeed the ageing Paul Biya.
The alleged suspect is said to have claimed that divine revelation informed him that he would become Cameroon’s chosen Vice President. Rather than waiting for events to unfold, he allegedly decided to transform prophecy into reality by producing the decree himself.
CRTV officials reportedly detected irregularities during verification procedures, preventing the document from being broadcast to the public.
For many observers, it is a reflection of a nation exhausted by uncertainty, political stagnation, and a growing desire for change after more than four decades of Paul Biya’s rule.
In today’s world, leaders communicate with citizens instantly. Governments announce appointments, dismissals, and major policy decisions through digital platforms that reach millions within seconds. Across the globe, political institutions have adapted to the realities of the modern age. Yet in Biya’s Cameroon, the machinery of state continues to operate as though time stopped decades ago.
The same president who uses social media to announce his candidacy remains unable or unwilling to use those platforms to appoint or dismiss senior officials. Instead, presidential decrees are still physically transported to the state broadcaster, CRTV, where the nation waits for an evening news bulletin before learning who governs them. In a country where millions of citizens access the internet daily, such practices increasingly appear disconnected from modern reality.
The journey between Etoudi and CRTV headquarters in Nlongkak has become symbolic
of a political system many citizens view as outdated, secretive, and vulnerable. Until a decree is read on state television or radio, uncertainty reigns. And in that uncertainty, rumours flourish.
It is perhaps within this atmosphere that the latest scandal emerged.
While many have laughed at the incident, others see something far more significant beneath the comedy. The story illustrates a growing national obsession with succession and political transition. Across Cameroon and the former British Southern Cameroons, conversations increasingly revolve around one question: what happens after Paul Biya?
For years, the regime has provided no clear answers. At more than nine decades old, Biya remains in power while key decisions continue to be delayed or shrouded in secrecy. Months after a new government was elected, citizens are still waiting. In many other countries, elections held after Cameroon’s have already produced functioning governments and new administrations.
The result is a political vacuum filled by speculation, rumours, and increasingly desperate attempts by some individuals to insert themselves into the succession conversation.
The fake decree scandal is therefore not merely about one man. It is about a nation increasingly dissatisfied with the status quo. It is about citizens who desperately want to see change but remain uncertain about how and when that change will come.
By Lucas Muma – BaretaNews
