Ni John FRU Ndi
He is the torchbearer of the SDF in the October 9 poll.
Ni John Fru Ndi, the 70-year-old candidate of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) for the October 9, 2011 presidential election, is credited for founding the party in 1990 before becoming its National Chairman at its 1st Ordinary National Convention in May 1992. The leader of the nation’s leading opposition party made a strong showing against incumbent President Paul Biya in the October 1992 presidential election, losing with 36% of the vote. Along with other opposition parties, his SDF party boycotted the October 1997 presidential election but Fru Ndi went on to be re-elected as SDF Chairman at the party’s 5th Convention in April, 1999. He re-surfaced as the SDF candidate for the October 2004 presidential election and emerged second after President Biya.
Born in Baba II, Santa Sub –division in Mezam Division of North West Region to Mama Angob Susana and Pa Ndi Joseph, both of blessed memory. Ni John Fru Ndi is also remembered for his role in the ruling CPDM party when he lost to a another CPDM list in the Mezam Central Constituency during the single party 1988 parliamentary election. He also takes credit as a former President of the PWD Bamenda soccer side, a great farmer and product of the then Baforchu Basel Mission School and the Santa Native Authority before going to the Lagos City College, Nigeria in 1957. Back in Cameron in 1966, he later ran a bookshop in Bamenda where he mixes as the people’s man, a traditionalist and faithful Christian of the Musang congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. Family sources say he earned the title “Ni” or better still, “the one who commands respect,” at birth.
CHOVES LOH
