Mbah Ndam died Monday, April 13, 2020 in Yaoundé where he was receiving medical care, SDF’s National Communication Secretary said.

“The Social Democratic Front party, with deep sorrow, announces the passing on to glory of the Right Honorable Joseph Mbah Ndam this morning the 13th of April 2020 in Yaoundé. The departure of this Statesman is an irredeemable loss to the SDF in particular and Cameroon in general. May his soul rest in perfect peace,” said Nkemlemo in a statement.

Mbah Ndam became Member of Parliament for Momo West Constituency (Batibo) following the May 17, 1997 Parliamentary Elections in Cameroon that saw the SDF win 43 of the 180 seats at the National Assembly.

On Friday March 20, some 48 hours before the March 22, 2020 Parliamentary Election rerun, one of the vehicles of the convoy of Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam suffered a blast due to an explosive positioned at one of the twenty-one barricades erected by armed groups between Bamenda and Batibo. Four soldiers and two civilians were seriously injured in the attack but Mbah Ndam emerged physically unhurt.

According to open sources, armed separatists fighting to secure the independence of a country they call Ambazonia opened fire on the convoy targeting Hon. Mbah Ndam Joseph Njang, who sought to prolong is nearly 23-year stay as Member of Parliament for Momo West (Batibo).

Like was the case during the twin Municipal and Legislative elections on February 9, 2020, separatists vowed to frustrate the parliamentary election rerun.

The electorate of Momo West along with those of ten other electoral constituencies in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions were to choose 13 Members of Parliament in rerun polls.

The election rerun followed Constitutional Council decision no. 29/SRCER/G/20 of February 25, 2020 to cancel the election of Members of Parliament in the following constituencies: North West Region – Menchum North, Bui West, Mezam South, Bui Centre, Bui South, Mezam Centre, Momo East, Menchum South, Momo West and Mezam North – and South West Region – Lebialem.

Cameroon-Info.Net recalls that the partial annulment of the outcome of the February 9, 2020 legislative elections came after the opposition Social Democratic Front, SDF, seized the Constitutional Council citing irregularities that breached laws relating to elections in the country. The CPDM however swept all 13 seats following the rerun.

Hon. Joshua Osih, 1^st Vice National Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Front, SDF, Friday, April 3, 2020 granted a press conference in Yaoundé during which he recounted the events surrounding the March 22, 2020 parliamentary election reruns in eleven constituencies in the North West and South West Regions.

Seated next to Osih at the April 3 press conference was Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam who looked dejected following the defeat that put an end to his parliamentary career. That appeared to be his last public outing.

Hon. Mbah Ndam was a graduate of the University of Yaoundé and Member of Parliament from 1997. He was Vice Speaker of the National Assembly until his parliamentary career ended following the March 22 defeat.

Mbah Ndam was born on February 28, 1955 in Batibo, Momo Division of the then North West province. He has been a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the SDF since 1991.

Besides being a politician, he was a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Yaoundé from 1988-92. Until his death, he was the adviser on legal and judicial matters of National Financial Credit Bank and chair of Union of cultural and development association of Momo division. He was a practicing Protestant Christian; was married and a father of four children.

His house in Batibo was burnt down to ashes by armed separatist fighters on Sunday, December 15, 2019.