A Cameroonian leader’s ally resigns and challenges the political upheaval
The defection of a longtime supporter of Cameroon’s leader who plans to run for president in October might change the political landscape of the West African country following more than 40 years of Paul Biya’s control.
This week, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who was Biya’s government spokesperson from 2009 to 2018, announced his resignation as employment minister in reaction to what he described as popular calls for reform.
“As a political leader, I felt called upon to respond to this solicitation from our compatriots from north to south, from east to west,” Tchiroma stated throughout a Thursday Facebook and YouTube conversation with social media personality Ben Oumar.
When Reuters reached out to Cameroon for comment, the ministry of communication did not immediately reply.
Biya, the 92-year-old head of state with the longest tenure in history, has not stated if he intends to run for office again. The ruling alliance in Cameroon has been the subject of intense conjecture regarding a potential succession dispute.
The ruling party’s confidence may be shook by Tchiroma’s challenge ahead of what many predict would be a historic election, perhaps the first without Biya since 1982. Only two presidents have served Cameroon since the country gained independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s.
Additionally, Tchiroma’s home base in the north, which has historically provided Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) with a lot of support, would undergo a significant political realignment.
Tchiroma, a former minister of communication and transportation, is the head of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, a party affiliated with the CPDM.
He outlined his intentions in an open letter on Wednesday, claiming that Biya’s government had paralyzed institutions and impeded progress.
A referendum on federalism, which would give provinces more authority, is one of Tchiroma’s objectives, he stated on Thursday. He also pledged to give education, modernization of agriculture, and youth employment a priority.
In a political system where party apparatus, patronage, and incumbents hold significant power, Tchiroma may still have a difficult time winning.
Munjah Vitalis Fagha, a political scientist at the University of Buea, told Reuters that he is now arguably the most powerful opposition figure in the north and that his defection suggests a possible realignment of elites.
Bello Bouba Maigari of the National Union for Democracy and Progress and other northern leaders may decide to run for office as a result of Tchiroma’s candidacy, according to Fagha and other observers.
