Let’s stop chasing shadows and start backing substance: in defence of Hon. Joshua Osih Nambangi

There’s a saying that the African’s worst enemy is another African, and sadly, it often takes the form of nitpicking your own brother to death while handing roses to a stranger.

This week-end's online tantrums about Hon. Joshua Osih’s post-selection comments are yet another hilarious but painful reminder. (Note however, there have been more admirers ). Imagine this: you're in a political arena where getting your party selected to run for the presidency is like winning the semi-finals of the World Cup, tough, intense, often rigged.

Then your team, the SDF, sails through.

As captain, you take the mic, acknowledge the work of your foot soldiers, salute the referee (even if he was slightly blind), and extend a hand of solidarity to those whose jerseys were retired before the match began.

But alas!

You’re accused of... being too cheerful?

Come on, Cameroon. This is politics, not a funeral.

What exactly did Osih do wrong?

Was he supposed to weep publicly in solidarity with Professor Maurice Kamto?

Declare a hunger strike? Or crawl out of Elections Cameroon with ashes on his head chanting “Woe is me!”?

Let’s be honest.

The criticisms thrown at Osih are not about strategy or substance.

They're about suits and smiles.

Body language.

Tone.

The cut of his jacket. The fact that he didn’t perform a Shakespearean tragedy on national TV to prove he “cares.”

Shed crocodile tears

Some even said his satisfaction was “too visible.”

But tell me, what leader worth his salt wins a hard-fought political slot and shrinks in embarrassment?

Osih Did What Leaders Do

In that brief moment, Osih did something very few politicians in Cameroon ever do:, including those who have been in Government and are now in the race;

he acknowledged progress.

A small step, yes, but a step nonetheless.

He invited others, including Kamto’s supporters (especially Kamto and his supporters) to work together.

He didn’t gloat.

He didn’t lecture.

He offered a political olive branch in the middle of a battlefield.

That is leadership.

That is maturity.

And frankly, that is rare.

This wasn’t about individual triumph, it was about institutional relevance.

And yes, the SDF is still very relevant.

Whether you like it or not, it remains the most structured, most tested, and arguably the only opposition party with a country-wide footprint and actual elected officials.

How many other opposition parties have councillors in every region, senators in Parliament, and nearly four decades of political experience under their belt?

And let’s not forget, Joshua Osih is an Anglophone, leading the biggest Anglophone political party in the land.

He inherited the political baton from the late Iconic Ni John Fru Ndi, the man who, love him or not, woke up a generation to political awareness.

So why, at this crucial time, are we more interested in how Osih looked than in what he represents?

Stop looking for groom material. This is politics.

Let’s be clear: this is not a search for a husband for our daughter.

We are not here to assess Osih’s posture, hairline, or tailoring choices.

This is politics, a brutal arena where results, reach, and representation matter more than rhetoric.

Osih is not auditioning for a Nollywood role.

He is running for President of the Republic of Cameroon, under a party with real grassroots presence.

He should be judged on his leadership, not his necktie.

And please, to my fellow Anglophones: this is not the time for micro-jealousies or regional one-upmanship.

For once, just once, can we be for something, not always just against someone?

Because while we’re busy dissecting Osih’s facial expressions, the real question is slipping past us:

What can the SDF offer Cameroonians and Anglophones (in Crisis for 9 years) in 2025?

The answer?

A national platform with proven staying power.

A leadership tradition rooted in peaceful resistance, constitutional engagement, and inclusive politics.

A candidate with a clear understanding of both Anglophone aspirations and national dynamics.

Let’s elevate the conversation

This is a moment for sober assessment, not emotional outbursts.

Let’s compare ideas, not Instagram poses.

Let’s critique policy platforms, not elbow angles.

And most importantly, let’s realize that bashing the only viable Anglophone-led national party serves nobody, not even those doing the bashing.

Joshua Osih Nambangi is doing an excellent job of leading the SDF. That’s his mission.

He should be judged on that, not whether he cried on command, or whether his left eyebrow twitched in the wrong direction.

So I say: let’s stop chasing shadows and start backing substance. Cameroon is too important, and this moment too critical, to waste on fashion critiques and emotional side quests.

Osih is not the enemy. And maybe, just maybe, neither are we.