It is after previously consulting extensively with the late Albert Mukong, a man feared and shunned by many for fear of being targeted for collusion against the state, that he made up his mind to get seriously into politics. And so along with other members, he started a think-tank called Study Group 89 (a think-tank of 10 participants) in November 1989. These members were his uncle, Dr. Siga Asanga, his cousin, Dr. Alfred Azefor, longtime friends, Justice Nyo Wakai, Prof. Clement Ngwasiri, Mr. Aloysius Tebo, Prof Carlson Anyangwe, Dr Gemuh Akuchu, Mr. Vincent Feko and Mr. James Mbanga. A political party needed to be formed and they were fully aware of similar contemplations of a Douala-based group rallied around Barrister Yondo Black. With the paperwork complete and the statutes of the party firmly in place, Ni John Fru Ndi made the historical courageous gesture  of signing as National Chairman, with his uncle, the late Dr. Siga Asanga as the Secretary General, as such breaking all existing political codes to launch the Social Democratic Front (SDF), as a national party, to fight for a just, fair and equitable society on the 26th May 1990 in Bamenda. In an attempt to prevent this launching, 6 people were shot dead by troops deployed by the regime. These 6 have since been recognized as the martyrs of democracy in Cameroon.

Unrelented by the violent intimidation, the National Chairman, the title he now became known by, with a dedicated entourage of aides and volunteers braved all odds with a rare combination of political wizardry, raw courage and visionary leadership to literally ‘gatecrash’ the party into the political arena of Cameroon. From 1990 onwards, the SDF rode on the crest of Cameroon’s turbulent political waves, confronting the governing Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party head on. The SDF catch phrase “power to the people” seemed to have a massive adhesive appeal among many ordinary Cameroonians who saw in Ni John Fru Ndi, the hope of a better alternative. Someone needed to say the truth as is and say it forcefully, and the Chairman found his life purpose in being the mouthpiece of the downtrodden and all those who had lost hope in the ruling elite class.

His pro-democracy street battles with security forces, in the midst of tear gas and water cannons, carved a near mythical figure of a man, described by his admirers as being capable of catching bullets fired at him. He carried his message for change and a new narrative for the country to all 360 sub-divisions of the country, at a time when neither the internet, television nor radio existed in most places. He adopted this method of touring the nation, moving from door to door, so that he could be seen, heard and understood, thus using nothing more but his heart, his conviction and a language as simple as pidgin. Not surprisingly, his large party following won him the first multi-party presidential election in 1992 even though official results declared him runner-up, with a near photo-finish score of 36% as against 39 % for incumbent Mr. Paul Biya, after having secured a mammoth 1,066,602 votes. He declared himself winner as there was widespread proof of voting, counting and tallying irregularities. He was unjustly put under house arrest, and faced some of the most traumatic provocations any person can ever be subjected to, like watching your mother beaten and drawn in the gutter. Some of his supporters urged him to drop his belief in the bible and take up arms to start a civil war and reclaim his stolen electoral victory. But being a true statesman at heart, looking at the faces of the young men and women and knowing that the journey was to deliver a society of equal opportunity and not about occupying an office, he called for all members and sympathizers to stand down and declared he was not prepared to walk over dead bodies and blood to get to Etoudi. He took the harder and cumbersome route of preaching to the people about their rights and how a society of equal opportunities can be achieved through the ballot and by reinstating the federal system of governance as an emancipation from the previous context to align with new and future realities. He took this message round the country 24 times in 33 years, a feat which if we extrapolate outside the electoral years, meant he spent more time speaking to Cameroonians, raising their awareness on key issues affecting their daily lives rather than seeking only their votes. Some of the topical issues that saw him crisscrossing the nation included raising awareness on the HIV pandemic, the importance of urban hygiene, the need for community development through self-help (the setting up of loan and thrift economy), encouraging youths to invest in the soil as a means of combating unemployment, engaging in tree-planting to combat desertification and the list could go on. These things to him were bigger than a political office.  He simply took the burden of nation builder to heart and in addition, missed no opportunity to publicly demonstrate what he preached in his private life. It comes as no surprise therefore that these efforts were recognized and honored by multiple local and international awards over the years.

By and large, during Ni John Fru Ndi’s 82 years on earth, he fought many battles in his private and political lives; losing some but winning more and in death, crowning it all, as he tells his story to the attention of the world.

As he passes on at the age of 82, Ni John Fru Ndi, a father to many, a friend to several, a mentor to the next generation of community, regional and national leaders, leaves behind 9 children, 19 grandchildren, brothers, sisters and a whole nation to mourn the loss of a man whose achievements are much bigger than the life he lived.