Reports gathered by Knews.info, hold that preparations are underway in the Far North’s Regional Capital of Maroua, to give the incumbent Presidential Candidate, Paul Biya, a warm reception in the days ahead.
FIVE VISITS SO FAR…
Maroua or the Far North, as far as the Presidential election is concerned, is said to be the winning joker on President Biya’s political cards deck.
In all Presidential elections since Multi-partyism in 1990, Biya has made it a tradition to be in Maroua each time Cameroonians are called up to head to the ballot box and choose the next President.
So, President Biya was in Maroua in 1992, 1998, 2004, 2011 and 2018.
And on each occasion, Biya has had reason to smile after his visits.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2018
Biya’s last visit to Maroua was on Saturday the 29th of September, 2018.
He had, like in the previous past four visits, gone to woo the Far Northerners to have him re-elected for the 2018 Presidential election that took place later on Sunday, October 7th.
And when the far Northerners went to the polls on the said October 7th, 2018, Biya was the one who had the best laugh!
STAKES DIFFERENT IN 2025!
Biya’s expected visit to his electoral trump-card Region – the Far North – might not yield the same results as in the past five cases; everything being equal.
BELLO & TCHIROMA WANT A SLICE OF THE NORTHERN POLITICAL CAKE!
Biya’s former political allies – Bello Bouba and Issa Tchiroma have been key to Biya’s wins in the three northern regions.
They have been Biya’s backers for most of the past these years.
But the stakes in the upcoming October 12 election aren’t the same as in 2018.
Bello and Tchiroma are no longer allies but Biya’s opponents in the 2025 political encounter.
THE PROBLEMS…BOKO HARAM, CEASELESS FLOODS, OTHERS!
Besides the many visits that President Biya has made to Maroua, the northerners have continued to battle with many problems, year in, year out.
For over 10 years now, the Boko Haram insurgency has continued to pose as a big security challenge to the people.
FLOODS…
To add, the problem of the River Logone overflowing each time it rains heavily with resultant floods that inundate farm lands and houses, kill humans and cattle in the Logone vicinity has continued to traumatize the people.
And there hasn’t been any concrete fix from the powers that be to this recurrent hamburg.
Promises by the State to build or reinforce flood defences have not been fully realized.
FCFA 350 MILLION PLUS MATTRESSES, BLANKETS, FOOD ITEMS…
When the floods last struck the Logone, Kousseri and Chari areas in September, 2024, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, on behalf of the State, dispatched the sum of FCFA 350 million to assist the affected victims.
But the population wasn’t that happy because the trail of destruction left behind by the floods was, indeed, too overwhelming.
From OCHA’s accounts, 20 persons died, 236000 others were displaced, 18,000 homes were washed away with the Logone and the Chari areas having suffered the most.
But the Minister argued that this aid package was just the first line of action with concrete measures such as resetting of the displaced and reinforcing damaged flood dykes to follow subsequently.
NGOH NGOH’s FEBRUARY 15 FIRE-FIGHTING VISIT!
After months of waiting in vain for concrete solutions to come their way, the tempers of the people flared up. Yaounde became worried!
The Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Biya’s closest aid, was forced to fly up north last February 15th in an attempt to extinguish the raging anger before the unexpected happened.
He landed in the area on February 15. Given the tense atmosphere that he met, he was forced to stay the night at Kousseri to ensure he got a full scan of the cause of the people’s anger. Many, overtly, too, had already threatened to turn their backs against the Biya Government.
By the time Ngoh Ngoh left on February 16th, he had been reassured of the people’s determination to stay on with Biya.
On the other hand, he promised to fully carry their worries back to the Head of State in Yaounde.
BIYA’s EXPECTED VISIT…
Shall Biya come with another bag of promises or with concrete answers to their problems as were handed to Ngoh Ngoh on February 16, 2025, is what the people are waiting for.
BIYA’s EXPECTED RETURN…
President Biya returned to Cameroon, on Wednesday October 1, from Switzerland. He left the country last week for a short visit abroad.
He is, therefore, expected to head to Maroua for his campaign launch once he returns.
Since Saturday, Sept. 27th, following the launch of campaigns, Biya has been represented in the field, rather, by the Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute and other top Government and CPDM Party officials.
