Issa Tchiroma Accuses Northern Elites of Betraying Their People
Yaoundé, September 2, 2025 — Presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has sharply criticized the political elites of Cameroon’s Far North, accusing them of betraying their people.
In a 15-page open letter addressed to National Assembly Speaker Cavayé Yéguié Djibril, Tchiroma denounced what he called the “failure” of northern leaders to protect their communities and ensure fair distribution of national wealth. The letter, revealed by several media outlets, paints a grim picture of poverty and neglect in the Septentrion.
According to Tchiroma, the public investment budget allocated to the South-East alone exceeds that of the three northern regions combined. He further accused elites of allowing the region’s natural resources to be “plundered” by foreign interests while local graduates are relegated to menial jobs, barred from access to higher-value professions.
The candidate, who has positioned himself as a voice for marginalized youth and the underprivileged, directly challenged Speaker Cavayé, asking whether the northern elite will continue to “play the macabre role of accomplices in maintaining the status quo.”
Analysts view the letter as both a denunciation of inequalities and a political maneuver to consolidate support ahead of the 2025 presidential election. Tchiroma, a former minister, is seeking to redefine himself as a candidate for renewal and social justice in a region traditionally aligned with the ruling party.
The stakes are high: will his appeal resonate with disillusioned voters in the North, or will entrenched loyalties to the current system prevail?