Clément Atangana, who presided over Cameroon’s Constitutional Council from 2018 until his death, passed away on 4 October 2026 in Paris, France, following an illness. He was 84.
Atangana’s deep voice repeatedly delivered the word “inadmissible” to seal the fate of petitions filed by political parties and other political actors during major electoral processes. That single word became etched in the memory of Cameroonians. The expression carries weight both literally and figuratively. It recalls the gavel of Clément Atangana, the first president of the Constitutional Council, appointed on 7 February 2018, just months before the presidential election of 7 October that same year. Now, his days have been sealed. The decision is irrevocable.
LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ
Clément Atangana leaves the Constitutional Council after eight years at the helm of this politically charged jurisdiction. The pillar fell in France, where he had been evacuated for medical treatment. Under his leadership, the institution issued several rulings on disputes tied to two presidential elections: the 2018 poll and the 2025 poll. A common thread ran through both: challenges to the official results followed. In 2018, candidate Maurice Kamto of the MRC and his supporters contested the outcome. In 2025, candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary and his backers did the same.
Controversial remarks and a council under scrutiny
After the results of the October 2025 ballot were announced, a video circulated on social media in which Clément Atangana declared: “I am happy that you are rejoicing both for the victory of your candidate and for the work done by your father.” Often accused—rightly or wrongly—of being an institution under the regime’s orders, the Council has not allowed a single petition from the opposition to succeed since it began operating in 2018.
From magistrate to constitutional council president
That year, Clément Atangana reached the pinnacle of his career in Cameroon’s judiciary. He distinguished himself through long and loyal service in several jurisdictions across the country. A magistrate outside the hierarchy, he joined the bench on 20 December 1968 after training at ENAM and the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris. His rise included several positions of responsibility: examining magistrate in Nkongsamba, president of courts in Eséka, Bafia, Sangmélima, and Mora; public prosecutor in Maroua; president of the Centre Court of Appeal; adviser to the Supreme Court; and president of the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court. He retired from that court in 2014. Four years later, he was called to preside over the Constitutional Council.
What comes next
His death opens a vacancy at the presidency of the Constitutional Council, Cameroon’s highest court for electoral matters. It falls to the President of the Republic to designate and appoint the new president of the Constitutional Council by decree.