92-year-old Cameroonian president’s allies resign from the “broken” government to challenge him

admin June 26, 2025

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92-year-old Cameroonian president’s allies resign from the “broken” government to challenge him

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a prominent minister and long-time ally of President Paul Biya – resigned from the resignation of the Cameroonian government in hopes to end the four decades of Biya’s 92-year-old in power in the upcoming elections.

Tchiroma said that four months before Central African countries participated in the polls, his Bia government “undermined” public trust and he was turning to his opponents.

“A country cannot serve one person,” he said Wednesday.

When he served as Minister of Communications, Tchiroma was especially because of denials – and then rejected his denials – Cameroonian soldiers killed women and children in a viral video verified by BBC Africa Eye.

His other roles in the government for nearly two decades include serving as a spokesperson for the Bia government until his resignation on Tuesday, where he served as hiring minister.

Paul Biya is the oldest head of state in the world – it has not been confirmed whether he is trying to serve as president for eight terms. Last year, the country banned the president’s health reports after rumors of his death.

As the election approaches, many Cameroonians, as well as corruption and security, have also paid attention to the high unemployment rates and high cost of living for many Cameroonians. Separatist insurgency in the English-speaking provinces and jihadists in the northernmost regions have forced thousands of Cameroonians to leave their homes over the past decade.

Earlier this month, he told the crowd in his hometown of Garoua that the crowd in Garoua exploded, that the rupture of Tchiroma’s relationship with President Biya was exploded, and that Biya’s time in power did not benefit them in any way.

Tchiroma reportedly released a 24-page manifesto the day after his resignation, continuing to criticize the criticism, promising to demolish the “old system” so that Cameroon can go beyond “abuse, contempt and confiscate power.”

One of his proposed solutions is federalism – he proposed a referendum on pushing more power toward 10 provinces in Cameroon. Many have long been pursuing this as a solution to the country’s so-called English crisis.

He said, specifically targeting Cameroonians who speak English, he said: “You don’t need people to speak for you – you need to listen” and “centralization failed.”

Tchiroma also used his declaration that Cameroon “had been dominated by the same vision for decades, and the same system was ruled. The model has long been slaughtering progress with stable security, paralyzing our institutions, and undermining the trust bond between the state and the citizens of the state.”

As the October presidential election approaches, rights groups condemn the government’s crackdown on dissent.

Shortly after Ziroma announced plans to run for president, the government reportedly announced a ban on all political activities of his Cameroon National Redemption Front (CNSF) Party (CNSF) Party banning a division in the far north, which he is said to be part of an influential power actor.

The president’s promising Maurice Kamto was cut in a two-day police bet on Douala just weeks ago after he promised supporters at a rally in Paris that would protect Bia and his family if he wins in October.

Parliamentary elections that should also be held earlier this year have been postponed to 2026.

The reaction to the Tchiroma presidential bid mixed together – some people think he is smart.

“By positioning himself as an older politician who ‘sees the fire’, Tchiroma is hedging, and his breakthrough with Bia will be seen as bold – not opportunistic,” Jules Domshe, a Cameroonian analyst and broadcaster, told the BBC.

“From the economic impact to youth unemployment, insecurity, and turmoil in the northwest, southwest and north [regions]Cameroon’s changes have matured. ”

The opposition voices are divided – some hope Tchiroma supports Kamto, who won the second runner-up in 2018 with 14% of the vote. But others say his long-term ties with Bia are contaminated.

“He can’t reflect change… He has been part of the system for too long. Young people don’t trust him,” said Abdoulaye Harissou, a legal notary and famous critic who was once detained by the government.

Another member of the opposition – Jean Michel Nintcheu of the APC League, said simply: “We don’t think Tchiroma is a potential winner.”