Left-wing Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane has died in detention, five weeks after he was arrested, his lawyers and party have announced.

Ekane, 74, was among the leaders of an opposition coalition who endorsed Issa Tchiroma Bakary in October's presidential election.

Tchiroma Bakary says he was the rightful winner of the poll, officially won by 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya. Tchiroma Bakary has since fled to The Gambia.

No official cause of Ekane's death has been announced. His party has accused the authorities of denying him access to his medication - a charge the government has denied.

According to a spokesman for Ekane's African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem) party, Ekane died on Monday morning at a military medical facility, after his health worsened over the weekend.

The family received little explanation regarding Ekane’s death; his wife was called in to identify his corpse, and they later took it to the mortuary.

Defence ministry spokesman Capt Cyrille Serge Atonfack stated that Ekane had died from illness but did not provide further details, claiming that the politician had received good medical care since his arrest on October 24.

Ekane's lawyers reported that he faced accusations of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection, without being charged or presented before a judge. Legal representatives described his detention as illegal. Rumors regarding his demise had circulated in the weeks prior to his death, prompting calls from party members to see him dead or alive.

His passing has sent shockwaves across the nation, with supporters gathering at the party headquarters in Douala to mourn. Security forces have reportedly surrounded Manidem’s premises.

Following Ekane’s initial endorsement of another opposition figure, Maurice Kamto, his party later formed a coalition that backed Tchiroma Bakary.

Authorities have announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ekane’s death, raising further concerns over the treatment of political detainees in Cameroon.