Martin Madidi Fayulu

Martin Fayulu the rival opposition candidate who leaked voting data indicates was in reality the comfortable winner is still calling – without much luck – for the Congolese to emulate the Algerians and Sudanese in rising up to defend democracy (AC Vol 60 No 6 Kabila corners Tshisekedi)...

Another absentee was Martin Fayulu the man who the evidence suggests won the presidential poll last December (AC Vol 60 No 1 Church claims sweeping opposition win)...

Blocked from entering the country and barred from running in the December elections Katumbi was a major backer-in-exile of Martin Fayulu the clear winner of the polls according to reports in the Financial Times and Africa Confidential which said the Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI) altered the result and declared Félix Tshisekedi President (AC Vol 60 No 2 Data leak exposes plot to steal presidential vote)...

Tshisekedi's surprise victory in December's presidential polls was widely condemned as fraudulent after a data leak from the Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI) showed rival opposition politician Martin Fayulu winning by a landslide (AC Vol 60 No 2 Data leak exposes plot to steal presidential vote)...

One of them was the sight of young militants of the Félix Tshisekedi's Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS) roaming the streets of Kinshasa before the presidential swearing-in – alongside their former foes the police – with both with eyes peeled and fists clenched in case they spotted supporters of Martin Fayulu who was the real victor in the presidential election according to both the Catholic Church and leaked data from the electoral commission (AC Vol 60 No 2 Data leak exposes plot to steal presidential vote)...

A cache of data leaked from the state's electoral commission points to an overwhelming victory by opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu reinforcing earlier calls by regional organisations for a recount...

Martin Fayulu is the unnamed winning opposition candidate Africa Confidential's church sources say...

A rally for opposition candidate Martin Fayulu scheduled for that afternoon was cancelled as armed police blocked his return to Kinshasa and fired tear gas at hundreds of his supporters...

All seemed well on 12 November when seven leaders gathered in Geneva including heavyweights Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi who have been barred from pursuing their own presidential aspirations and announced they had united behind Martin Fayulu a courageous political fighter who was nearly killed by the police two years ago (AC Vol 59 No 23 Militias flex their muscles)...

They opted for Martin Fayulu an articulate national parliamentarian who can mobilise the Kinshasa street but the next day Félix Tshisekedi son of the late and perennial opposition candidate Etienne Tshisekedi pulled out quickly followed by former information minister Vital Kamerhe...

With honourable exceptions such as Martin Fayulu and Jean-Marc Kabund its leaders prefer pontificating in Washington DC New York and the capitals of Europe than doing the hard work of mobilising the immiserated Congolese people...