Cameroon Elections: Issa Tchiroma Declares Rupture in Kousseri

Arriving in the morning after a detour through N’Djamena due to impassable roads, Tchiroma’s caravan was greeted by an explosion of horns, motorbikes, and chants. By early afternoon, two successive rallies at Ngoumati and the ex-Semry site had swollen with crowds waving banners and shouting his name.

The slogans were striking: “Prési! Prési! Tchiroma wayyé! Au revoir Paul Biya, Tchiroma arrive!” The chant — simple, emotional, and defiant — spread like wildfire through the crowd, transforming the rally into a declaration of rupture.

A populist message tailored to the people
From the podium, Tchiroma delivered promises with direct appeal to the lived hardships of the Far North:

• Jobs and vocational opportunities for youth weary of chronic unemployment.

• New infrastructure to break decades of neglect in roads, schools, and hospitals.

• Social justice, vowing to end “43 years of confiscated power.”

“We are not merely electing a new president,” Tchiroma thundered. “We are burying an era. The people of Kousseri are not greeting me as a politician; they are greeting me as their liberator.”

The symbolism of Kousseri
Kousseri is not just another campaign stop. It sits at Cameroon’s northernmost border, traditionally seen as a Biya stronghold and a neglected periphery. By drawing massive numbers here, Tchiroma is directly challenging the ruling CPDM in its own backyard, sending a message that even the farthest corners of the country are ready for change.

The logistical reality — that the FSNC leader had to enter via Chad due to the derelict state of roads — became a campaign prop in itself. For supporters, it dramatized years of abandonment by Yaoundé. For Tchiroma, it was proof that his message resonates: “If the state cannot give us roads, then the state has abandoned us. And when the state abandons us, we must abandon it.”

A “third president” in waiting?
Supporters have already begun branding him as the troisième président de la République, following Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya. For many, this is not just a slogan but an act of faith. They believe October 12 will break the pattern of stolen victories in 1992 and 2018, when opposition claims of fraud went unheeded.

In their chants, the narrative is simple: Biya’s time is over, and Tchiroma is the vessel of change.

Strategic analysis
Observers caution, however, that enthusiasm in Kousseri does not necessarily translate into nationwide dominance. The FSNC is a regional force, and Cameroon’s presidential elections are won by simple plurality. The opposition field is already crowded, with Joshua Osih of the SDF mobilizing in the West, Cabral Libii betting on youth and federalism in Bamenda tomorrow, and Bello Bouba Maigari building alliances with defectors like Akere Muna.

If the opposition remains divided, the CPDM machine could still retain control. The crucial question is whether Tchiroma can extend his resonance beyond the Far North and consolidate with others into a single front.

The BAS France intervention
Adding a dramatic twist, BAS France, a diaspora resistance group, released a communiqué declaring the Kousseri chant — “Au revoir Paul Biya, Tchiroma arrive” — as the new “hymn of rupture.” They proclaimed that the “third half” of Cameroon’s liberation struggle had begun: one of electoral mobilization, truth at the ballot box, and protection of popular will.

This endorsement reflects a growing effort to elevate Tchiroma from a party candidate into a symbol of national renewal.

Can Tchiroma deliver?
Despite the fervor, doubts linger. Tchiroma once served loyally under Biya, defending the regime even at its lowest moments. Critics warn that the same man who once justified the government’s unpopular measures is now recasting himself as its fiercest opponent. “Is this conviction or convenience?” asked one political analyst in Yaoundé.

Yet in Kousseri, the doubts mattered little. The people saw not a contradiction, but a rupture. They rallied behind a candidate who spoke their pain and promised their liberation.

The verdict of October 12
As the sun set over the Logone and Chari Division, the chant still echoed: “Au revoir Paul Biya, Tchiroma arrive.” Whether it becomes prophecy or remains theatre will depend on the ballot boxes in less than two weeks. But for one day in Kousseri, Issa Tchiroma Bakary was more than a politician — he was the incarnation of a people’s hunger for change.