My thoughts on politics, social media, and the upcoming elections in Cameroon

Greeting Steemit Family

I’m not a politician, but over the past couple of days, I have developed a real interest in the political updates happening in my country. As a Cameroonian, the current situation in the country has compelled me to pay close attention to what is happening in our political space.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, we will be heading to the polls to vote for the next president who will lead the country for the next seven years. Right now, a lot is happening. In my last post, I mentioned that 25 candidates had already submitted their candidacy files. As of the time of this post, we have 31 candidates, and I am aware that some popular political parties have not yet submitted theirs.

My prediction was that we would have 30 candidates, but now we have gone past that, and more are still expected. As things stand, my hope is that we will have a peaceful election come October 12, 2025. There’s a lot we can do to help protect our votes, and one major influence in this entire process is social media. We all need to understand the power of social media, especially during elections. It’s a very powerful tool that politicians use before, during, and after the polls.

Social media can burn down a country, and it can also build one. I would estimate that about 40% of Cameroonians are online, and almost all of them use smartphones. Let’s be honest, many people buy smartphones just to belong in the social media space. Social media is where you get both sides of the story, and many people will only choose to believe the version that favors their interests. But how do we get our information on social media? The phone is the first thing most people touch in the morning, and they go straight to their feeds. What you find there may be true or it may be false.

The people sharing information online often have motives. Sometimes it's to inform, sometimes to mislead, and other times just to stay relevant, chasing followers and likes without taking the time to cross-check whether what they are sharing is true or not. That’s why you will always find two versions of every story on the internet.

We are about to witness a political battle unfold on social media. Most of the time, it is driven by interpretations from party militants. What they think their candidate said, or what they don’t like about other candidates. Then, stories start spreading that paint other candidates in a negative light. A lot of this content may be fake, so how do we know what’s true?

My advice is this, assume every piece of information you see online is fake until you verify it. Cross-check the source before accepting or sharing it.

I remember some time ago when my president was falsely declared dead on social media. The news spread across the country like wildfire, but it was fake. What helped me stay calm was checking national TV and official channels. Days passed, and nothing was announced, and I realized the information was false.

In Cameroon, spreading false information is punishable by law. As the saying goes, "ignorance of the law is no excuse." So, as we enter a period where a lot will be happening online, Cameroonians must be cautious about what they read and share on social media.
Some people feel free on social media, hiding behind their phones to post anything. But something I always tell my friends, no one is above the law. If you are doing something illegal and haven’t been caught, it doesn’t mean you are smart or untouchable. It just means law enforcement has not had your time yet.

So if you are out there posting fake news, thinking you are safe, you are only fooling yourself. It's better to correct your steps now while you are still free. Let’s use our social media space wisely and responsibly for the good of our country.

As political campaigns begin, many politicians will make heavy use of social media. Everyone online becomes a kind of journalist, so it’s best to treat all information as false until proven true.

This year is a major election year. Let’s not allow social media to tear our country apart. Let those who have registered go to the polls and vote, and let their votes be counted. That way, the real results will come from the people, not from online speculation. Social media should not become a platform for virtual votes and fake results that will never be considered.

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Cheers
Thanks for dropping by
@fombae