With President Paul Biya yet to confirm whether he will stand for another term, Cameroon’s Minister of Tourism, Bello Bouba Maigari, has formally accepted his party’s nomination to contest the presidency in the election anticipated for October.
Why This Matters
A former prime minister and a loyal ally of Biya for more than three decades, Maigari, 78, accepted the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP) endorsement on Saturday without relinquishing his cabinet portfolio. He is now the second senior minister from northern Cameroon to declare a presidential bid in recent days—a development that could signal cracks in the long‑standing alliance between Biya’s central leadership and influential northern power brokers.
Political Context
- Paul Biya, 92, has governed since 1982 and remains the world’s oldest serving head of state. He has not indicated whether he will seek reelection.
- Maigari’s announcement follows last week’s resignation and candidacy declaration by fellow northerner Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesperson, who said he was responding to widespread calls for change.
- Northern Cameroon’s three provinces—Adamawa, North, and Far North—collectively account for more than 2 million voters and therefore hold substantial electoral influence.
Key Figures
- Registered Voters: Over 8 million Cameroonians have enrolled to vote, according to provisional figures from the national electoral commission.
- Population: Approximately 30 million people live in the oil‑ and cocoa‑producing Central African nation.
The entrance of two prominent northern candidates may reshape the electoral landscape as Cameroon moves toward its next presidential contest.
