Born on 20 December 1941 in Ekoumeyeck near Ngomedzap, in the Nyong and So’o division, Clément Atangana passed away on 4 October 2026 in Paris, France, after a illness. His name alone evokes the institution he led, crowning a rich career in Cameroon’s judiciary.
His deep voice pronounced the word “inadmissible” countless times, sealing the fate of petitions filed by political parties and other actors during major electoral processes. That word became etched in the memory of Cameroonians. It carries weight both literally and figuratively. It recalls the gavel of Clément Atangana, the very first president of the Constitutional Council, appointed on 7 February 2018, just months before the presidential election of 7 October that same year. Today, his days are sealed. The decision is irrevocable.
Clément Atangana permanently leaves the Constitutional Council after eight years at the helm of this politically charged court. The pillar fell in France, where he had been evacuated for medical treatment. Under his leadership, the institution issued several rulings on disputes related to two presidential elections: those of 2018 and 2025. In both cases, the official results were contested. In 2018, by candidate Maurice Kamto of the MRC and his supporters. In 2025, by candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary and his backers.
After the proclamation of the October 2025 results, a video circulated on social media in which Clément Atangana declared: “I am happy that you rejoice both for your candidate’s victory 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 upheld a single petition from the opposition since its establishment in 2018.
That year, Clément Atangana reached the pinnacle of his judicial career. He distinguished himself in the magistracy, rendering 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: investigating judge in Nkongsamba, president of courts in Eséka, Bafia, Sangmélima, and Mora; attorney general 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.
His death thus 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.