Joshua Osih, the presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in the 12 October 2025 election, is presenting himself as the standard-bearer of a new vision for Cameroon. His program emphasizes federalism, quality public education accessible to all, and universal healthcare as the foundations of a just and prosperous society.
In a context in which Cameroon is grappling with both socio-political tensions and socio-economic disparities, Joshua Osih asserts that federalism is pivotal for national reconciliation and effective governance. For him, decentralization has shown its limits, and only a federal dispensation will allow regions to fully take charge of their development while preserving national unity.
The core philosophy is to empower the people, and since 1990, we have believed that the only way for Cameroon to develop is for the people to control their destiny. This can only be achieved through a federal system and a semi-parliamentary regime.
Joshua Osih, SDF presidential candidate
Education is another central theme of his campaign. He criticises the collapse of the public school system, which has forced families to turn to expensive private schools. He aims to restore the prestige of public education, invest heavily in vocational and technical training, and shift national priorities towards STEM fields, engineering, and applied sciences. He believes that this is the only way to create jobs and stop the exodus of young talent. Beyond education and governance, Osih’s programme also places a strong emphasis on health. He calls for the humanisation of healthcare through better pay for medical staff, wider access to hospitals and the integration of traditional medicine into the public health system.
Education is supposed to be free. What we are doing is applying that law to ensure that no Cameranian family becomes indebted or poorer because their children are attending school. This is the commitment I am making, and it is something I am looking forward to doing.
Joshua Osih, SDF presidential candidate
Joshua Nambangi Osih, 57, is a Member of Parliament and has been President of the Social Democratic Front since 29 October 2023, succeeding John Fru Ndi, founder of this opposition party, who died on 12 June 2023. In the 2018 presidential election, Joshua Osih obtained 118,706 votes, or 3,35% of the vote, placing him in fourth place. A native of Kumba, the capital of the Meme division in the South-West region of Cameroon, Joshua Osih has been a member of the Cameroonian National Assembly since 2013. It should be noted that of the 180 members of the Cameroon National Assembly, the SDF has a total of five members.
