Tensions are escalating in Adamaoua less than a week before Jean Nkuete is slated to arrive and install Théodore Baoro as the head of the ruling party, CPDM, regional permanent delegation. On the ground, a fierce battle for political control of this strategically important region is unfolding between the CPDM and its long-standing ally, the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP).
While the UNDP has held sway over Adamaoua for decades, the CPDM is aiming to reverse this trend. The party's push to regain ground began with the 2020 municipal elections, where in the Mbéré department, President Paul Biya's CPDM secured all the municipalities. This display of strength contrasts sharply with other departments, where the UNDP adeptly capitalizes on the vulnerabilities of its occasional rival.
In the Vina department, a hotbed of internal friction within the CPDM, the party machinery is reportedly faltering. Local officials face accusations of inaction, party coffers are allegedly depleted, and grassroots organization is virtually non-existent. "The CPDM risks losing its strongholds to the UNDP," cautioned one observer. "The head of the permanent delegation is conspicuously absent and clearly inactive."
Similar observations plague the Mayo Banyo department, where Abba Sadou, the head of the permanent delegation, is described as "invisible" by his own supporters. This perceived lack of leadership could translate into protest votes in Banyo and Bankim, where divisions among CPDM municipal councilors are becoming increasingly apparent.
In the Djerem department, the political forces are evenly balanced, with one municipality held by the CPDM and another by the UNDP. However, mobilization efforts are intensifying on both sides, driven by local elites determined to exert influence in the upcoming elections.
Faro-et-Déo remains a solid stronghold for the UNDP, which controls three of the department's four municipalities. Nevertheless, the situation is fluid. Bello Bouba Maïgari's UNDP now has its sights set on Mayo-Baleo, the last municipality still in CPDM hands. The UNDP is banking on the growing unpopularity of the mayor of Kontcha to reclaim this bastion.
The installation of Théodore Baoro by Jean Nkuete will be more than a symbolic gesture. It could mark the beginning of a decisive political showdown at a time when the CPDM is striving to regain control of a region long considered the political backyard of Bello Bouba's party, whose leader currently serves as Minister of State, Minister of Tourism and Leisure.
Thierry Christophe Yamb