Double trouble for Biya? Cameroon’s opposition backs two ex-allies for the presidency
With less than a month before Cameroon’s election, the divided opposition has pulled together behind two former ministers: Bello Bouba Maigari, once prime minister, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former employment chief.
Both men were once allies of President Paul Biya, the 92-year-old who is seeking an eighth term that would extend his rule into its 50th year. Despite questions about the integrity of the vote, Biya remains among the leading contenders.
Bouba’s candidacy is backed by the UNIVERSE Party and the Liberal Alliance Party (PAL), alongside his own National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP). Tchiroma, meanwhile, has won support from other opposition figures, including Anicet Ekane of the Manidem Party.
Consolidation has long been seen as key to unseating Biya. Yet the loose unity now emerging has also raised concerns: rather than concentrating support, two northern candidates may divide it.
“Both say they will fight corruption and introduce structural reforms, but their strongest attribute seems to be their origins,” Cameroonian journalist Tony Vinyoh told Global South World. “They’re both from Cameroon’s three northern regions, the biggest voting bloc in the country. That has also led to fears they’ll split the vote and offer Biya victory.”
Bouba’s coalition only came together after Akere Muna and Seta Carson withdrew their own candidacies to back him. It is the first serious attempt in years to rally the opposition behind one figure after repeated failures to find consensus.
Muna, a human rights advocate who leads the UNIVERSE Party, explained his decision in Douala.
“We’ve just come back from the Northwest and Southwest, there are huge problems there. Are you going to step up and solve this problem? He said yes. So I said let’s go together.”
Bouba’s bid also marks a decisive break with the ruling majority. A long-time ally of Biya, he served as Minister of Tourism and Leisure from 2011 until this year. Though his resignation has not been officially confirmed, his associates say he has vacated his residence, returned state vehicles and bodyguards, and cleared out his office.
“Thank you for the courage they show. Thank you for the trust they place in me, thank you for putting Cameroon above personal ambitions,” he told supporters during the announcement of the opposition’s consolidation.
Like Bouba, Tchiroma is a seasoned political figure. He has served as a legislator and as minister of transport, communication, and employment and vocational training.
Earlier this year, he stunned many by breaking with Biya, declaring the government “broken” and saying “a country cannot exist in the service of one man.”
Around eight million Cameroonians are expected to cast ballots in a single-round vote. The winner will serve a renewable seven-year term. But with Maurice Kamto, widely seen then as the main opposition bet, barred from the race on procedural grounds, Biya’s opponents face a narrower field.
“Bello Bouba was prime minister under Ahidjo, so he would have an edge over Issa Tchiroma in terms of the closeness he’s been in power. In the absence of the excluded Maurice Kamto, Tchiroma seems to have the momentum,” Vinyoh said.
Whether the opposition’s fragile consolidation can translate into votes on October 12 remains unclear.
“It’s hard to know what to expect from these candidates. They’ve both been ministers but the important decisions have always come from the presidency,” Vinyoh said. “We’ll have to wait and see if endorsements from opposition candidates help Bello Bouba.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
