President Paul Biya has dismissed Samual Fonkam Azu’u as chairman of the board of directors at Elections Cameroon, ELECAM.

In a presidential decree on April 25, Biya appointed former governor, Enow Abram Egbe to replace Fonkam Azu’u as ELECAM new board chairman.

Fonkam AZU’U who has held the position since the creation of ELECAM, is leaving ELECAM at the time when the house seems to be facing some challenges with many media reports on a cold war among members.

The conflict at ELECAM was blown open sometime last year, when the director of elections wrote a letter to the Chair of the Electoral Board, telling him that he is not his boss. Besides, another apple of discord that fueled the crisis was the appointment of some regional delegates of ELECAM by the Electoral Board in July last year.

The Director General of Elections refused to install the Delegates, saying they were not proposed by him as provided for by the law.  Many observers see yesterday’s decree as an apparent move to forestall the conflict of authority that has marked the house.

Enow Abrams Egbe comes one year before the electoral period with four elections previewed for 2018 including the Presidential elections. The former governor who has served as inspector general at the ministry of territorial administration and decentralization was appointed last year to join the Board on April 21, 2016.  Amougou Abena was equally named vice president of the Board. Another presidential decree renewed the mandate of members for another two years.