 Ahidjo who was at the beginning his friend, wanted to integrate Mbida in his first government but Mbida disagreed with Ahidjo's extremely pro-French politics and he refused and went into exile in Conakry.On 16 September 1958, when he was passing through Paris, André-Marie Mbida pronounced himself in favour of the immediate independence.On 3 October 1958, his political party published a press release where it demanded "the immediate independence of Cameroon – the total amnesty – the lifting of French mandate'’.