In a June 23, 2026 interview, the National President of the Nouveau Mouvement populaire (NMP) launched a scathing critique against political commentator Elimbi Lobe, labeling him a regional operator with no national vision.

The Cameroonian political figure Banda Kani minced no words in his attack on Elimbi Lobe, particularly after the latter’s televised remarks on Info Tv—where he controversially referred to nationalist leader Ernest Ouandié as a “bandit.”

“By calling Ouandié a bandit, Elimbi Lobe has discredited himself,” Banda Kani declared. He went further, dismissing Lobe’s political ambitions as doomed to failure. “He has reduced himself to a political lightweight, a mere canton-level operator. His ambition is confined to winning a parliamentary seat, and even that would be a stretch for a man of his stature.”

From SDF to opportunist: the shifting sands of Elimbi Lobe’s career

Banda Kani highlighted the stark contrast between Elimbi Lobe’s current rhetoric and his past statements during his time in the Social Democratic Front (SDF). The NMP leader accused Lobe of adopting an opportunistic, electoral strategy rather than maintaining a consistent ideological stance.

“In 2011, while a member of the SDF, Elimbi Lobe praised national integration and even lauded the contributions of the Bamileke community,” Banda Kani recalled. He added that Lobe went so far as to say his best friend—a Bamileke—would be honored by having his name given to his son. Yet today, Lobe’s public statements reveal a starkly different narrative.”

“He once condemned tribalism, but now he engages in precisely the kind of divisive rhetoric he once opposed,” Banda Kani observed. “If he had made such statements while in the SDF, the party would have expelled him immediately. What we have here is a local politician chasing electoral gains, believing a parliamentary seat would catapult him to political stardom.”