John Fru Ndi
| John Fru Ndi | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the Social Democratic Front | |
|
Assumed office May 1990 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 July 1941 Baba II, near Bamenda in the Northwest Region of Cameroon |
| Political party | Social Democratic Front |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Ndi, Rose Ndi (both deceased) |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
Ni John Fru Ndi (born 7 July 1941) is a Cameroonian politician. He founded the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party in Cameroon, in 1990, and he has led the party since then.
Fru Ndi was born in Baba II, near Bamenda in the Northwest Province of Cameroon. The title of Ni, a marker of respect, was given to him when he was born. He attended school in Cameroon at the Baforchu Basel Mission and the Santa Native Authority before going to Nigeria to study (at Lagos City College) and work in 1957. In 1966, he returned to Cameroon and began selling vegetables. He ran a bookstore in Bamenda, the Ebibi Book Centre, headed a football club from 1979 to 1988, and headed the Lions Club International branch in Bamenda from 1987 to 1988. He was a candidate of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) in the Mezan Central constituency during the single-party 1988 parliamentary election, losing to a different RDPC list.
Fru Ndi was the founder of the SDF, an opposition party, in 1990. He was elected as the SDF's National Chairman at its First Ordinary National Convention, held in Bamenda in May 1992.
In the October 1992 presidential election, he made a strong showing against President Paul Biya, losing with 36% of the vote against Biya's 40% according to official results (in Fru Ndi's stronghold, Northwest Province, he officially won 86.3%). This election was condemned as fraudulent by the opposition, and Fru Ndi and third place opposition candidate Maigari Bello Bouba unsuccessfully sought for the election to be annulled by the Supreme Court. Amidst the outbreak of violence in the North-West Province that followed the election, Fru Ndi was placed under house arrest in late October 1992. After about a month, he was released. On 20 January 1993, Fru Ndi, along with his wife Rose, attended the inauguration of United States President Bill Clinton. He and Rose were photographed with Clinton and Clinton's wife Hillary, and Fru Ndi's presence at the event had a symbolic impact in Cameroon, giving the impression of recognition and legitimacy in light of Fru Ndi's claim to have won the 1992 election.
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