Information from the Elak Council branch office of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) indicate that over 5,000 new voters have already registered in Oku Subdivision in Bui Division of the North West Region for upcoming 2011 presidential election. Close sources at the ELECAM Council branch office say, over 10,300 of the older electors who voted in the July 2007 twin council and legislative elections, have also confirmed their names on the electoral register. Over 16,400 electors voted in the 2007 twin elections in Oku Subdivision and the 5,000 new voters come to add to the 16,400 voters, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation handed over to ELECAM in April 2010.

The Joint Voter Registration Commission members, Cameroon Tribune was reliably informed in Elak, Oku last weekend, plans to once more move round the 34 villages and two ardorates of Oku to enable all potential voters enrol for the presidential election. Oku Subdivision had 70 polling stations in the 2007 twin council and legislative elections. ELECAM sources say voters are registered per quarter in the ongoing registration exercise to facilitate the setting up and distribution of voter per polling station when the time comes.

The Bui three (Oku) Section of President Paul Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that its supporters register massively. The Chairman of the CPDM Commission for the intensification of voters’ registration who doubles as Member of Parliament for Bui West (Oku and Noni) Constituency and YCPDM President for Bui III, Hon. Tantoh Tanye Kwei Andrew Mngo told Cameroon Tribune in Elak Oku last March 24 that, “In the past three weeks, we did National Identity Cards for 3005 people who are presumably CPDM supporters for free”. The people immediate registered in the electoral list. He said many CPDM supporters have not yet registered due to lack of birth certificates that will enable them get National Identity Cards. Hon. Tanto Tanye Kwei said the party officials will soon go down to the field to get the statistics of supporters who have not yet registered. He said some of them who are students of voting age were not present when the party’s team issues National Identity Cards and some supporters are job seekers who are hardly permanent in Oku.

The Mayor of Elak Council in Oku, Ngum Jerome Njioh announced during celebrations of the CPDM 26^th anniversary that a team from the court will move round Oku Subdivision to enable people have declarations for birth certificates. He said this will be an occasion to enable Oku people who do not yet have birth certificates, obtain them so as to be issued National Identity Cards for them to register in the electoral register. Many Oku people have been expressing the wish for CPDM officials and elite to help potential voters irrespective of political parties obtain National Identity Cards to enable them register and vote.