By Njong Shey
The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, who also serves as the ruling party’s coordinator for Mezam Division in the North West Region, has declared the region’s “total unflinching support” for President Paul Biya’s re-election bid.
Atanga Nji made the remarks following a recent meeting between North West CPDM elites and Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Secretary General at the Presidency, to lay the groundwork for Biya’s re-election campaign.
According to Atanga Nji, President Biya has done so much for the region that he deserves another mandate.
While Atanga Nji and other CPDM stalwarts continue to urge President Biya to declare his candidacy, the 92-year-old leader has yet to confirm whether he will contest this October’s presidential polls.
Atanga Nji Enumerates Biya’s Achievements
To Minister Atanga Nji, Biya’s legacy in the region speaks volumes. He outlined what he described as the president’s major achievements for the region.
“President Paul Biya was made Fon of Fons, and our support for him is totally unflinching. We can make it crystal clear that President Paul Biya is the natural candidate for the CPDM and Cameroon, but he is 100 percent the candidate for the North West,” he said.
He emphasized Biya’s political milestones linked to the region:
“For instance, the birth certificate of the CPDM is in Bamenda. The Head of State took the 15th anniversary of the military to Bamenda. We have a state university,” Atanga Nji noted.
He further pointed out that the North West has produced two Prime Ministers under Biya’s leadership, alongside “other big things” the president has done for the region.
“So, I think it was a discussion to thank President Paul Biya and to tell him that our support is unflinching. We are totally determined and committed to the cause to give President Paul Biya a plebiscite come October,” he added.
Atanga Nji also cited statistics from previous elections, boasting that the CPDM currently holds 18 out of 20 parliamentary seats in the North West, nine out of 10 senatorial seats, and controls 33 of the region’s 34 councils.
“So the balance sheet is there,” he affirmed.
Uncertainty Within CPDM Ranks
With less than three months to the election, members of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) remain unsure about Biya’s intentions.
As the world’s oldest serving Head of State, Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982. While some party officials, including Atanga Nji, Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo, and Senate Third Vice President Nfor Tabetando, insist he will contest, others remain less certain.
Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi recently stated that there was a 50 percent chance that Biya would not contest the election.
Meanwhile, two CPDM Municipal Councillors have already declared their intentions to run for Presidency, directly challenging Biya’s hold on the party’s candidacy.
For now, Cameroonians await the president’s decree convening the electorate, which will officially end voter registration and kick off the presidential race.