Lawyer Defends Issa Tchiroma in Open Letter to Aminatou Ahidjo

An open letter penned by Cameroonian lawyer Me Cheikh Ali Al Assad has stirred public discourse, challenging Aminatou Ahidjo over her recent comments against politician Issa Tchiroma Bakary. The letter, titled “Lettre Ouverte à Aminatou Ahidjo”, is a stern rebuttal to Aminatou’s accusation of “political and moral fraud” directed at Tchiroma.

Aminatou Ahidjo, daughter of Cameroon’s first president Ahmadou Ahidjo, had recently questioned Tchiroma’s loyalty to her late father’s legacy, pointing to what she saw as a lack of public condolences and political alignment. In response, Me Cheikh accuses her of historical ignorance and of attempting to claim exclusive ownership over her father’s political heritage.

“You cite the absence of condolences as proof of betrayal,” the letter reads, “forgetting that at the time of your father’s death, Mr. Tchiroma was imprisoned by a regime that persecuted Northern Cameroonians.”

Praise for Tchiroma

The lawyer stresses that Tchiroma’s silence was not a betrayal but a mark of personal sacrifice—representative of a generation of Northerners who suffered political marginalization. “He paid with his own freedom,” Me Cheikh writes, “for the simple reason that he was perceived as being close to the Ahidjo legacy.”

The letter also rebukes Aminatou for what the author sees as an attempt to monopolise her father’s political capital. “Your name is Ahidjo,” Me Cheikh asserts, “but that does not give you exclusive rights to his political legacy. You may be his biological daughter, but his political heiress? Certainly not.”

The letter speaks directly to the broader Cameroonian public, invoking a shared memory of Ahmadou Ahidjo as a national figure whose achievements arose from collaboration with citizens across all regions. It also criticises Aminatou’s alignment with the current regime, suggesting that her political choices compromise her credibility.

“You’ve chosen to serve the new masters of Cameroon,” it concludes. “Serve them. But allow us to love President Ahidjo, who is also your father.”

The letter, now widely circulated on social media, has reignited debates over political loyalty, historical memory, and the role of lineage in national politics. Aminatou Ahidjo has yet to issue a public response

MMI