Cameroon’s long-time Tourism Minister, Bello Bouba Maigari, has formally entered the presidential race after accepting his party’s nomination, becoming the second key northern ally of President Paul Biya to launch a bid ahead of the expected October election.
Maigari, 78, a former prime minister and leader of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), announced his candidacy on Saturday without stepping down from his cabinet post. A close ally of Biya for over three decades, his decision signals a potential shift in Cameroon’s political landscape, particularly the delicate alliance between Biya’s central power base and influential leaders in the country’s north.
His declaration follows last week’s resignation of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesperson and minister, who also hails from the north. Tchiroma cited growing public demand for leadership renewal as his motivation to run, a sentiment echoing across parts of the country.
The developments come as President Paul Biya, 92, remains silent on whether he will seek another term. In office since 1982, Biya is the world’s oldest serving head of state, and speculation about his succession has been intensifying.
Northern Cameroon, comprising the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions, holds significant electoral weight, with over 2 million registered voters. The region has historically played a pivotal role in shaping electoral outcomes.
According to provisional figures from Cameroon’s election commission, more than 8 million voters have registered for the upcoming polls in the cocoa- and oil-rich nation of about 30 million people.
Observers are closely watching whether these high-profile northern candidacies signal fragmentation within Biya’s ruling coalition or mark the start of a broader political transition in Cameroon.
Written By Rodney Mbua
