The battle between Tchiroma and Atanga Nji has just begun, but it is already shaking Cameroon’s political foundations. For Ambazonia, this is more than a news story — it is a strategic opportunity. The cracks within La République could become turning points in the broader struggle for self-determination and sovereignty.
By Ali Dan Ismael, Editor-in-Chief, on Special Assignment in Bamenda
The political temperature in Cameroon has reached a boiling point. A fierce battle is emerging between presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, following disputed election results.
Tchiroma Challenges Election Results
Shortly after polling stations closed, Tchiroma released a strong statement denouncing massive fraud.
He said that reports from his teams, election observers, and voters all pointed to a clear Tchiroma victory, reflected in the official result sheets displayed at many polling stations.
However, only a few hours later, different versions of these result sheets began to appear at ELECAM’s departmental offices. Tchiroma accused the electoral authorities of trying to falsify results to change the outcome.
“How can result sheets handed to party representatives and posted at polling stations differ from those circulating in administrative offices? This is unacceptable,” he declared.
He called on key state institutions — ELECAM, territorial administration, judges, and the Constitutional Council — to verify all documents immediately and suspend any announcement based on falsified results.
Tchiroma also appealed to international observers not to remain silent in the face of what he called obvious signs of fraud. He warned that any proclamation based on false documents would not be recognized by the people.
Finally, he urged political parties, civil society, churches, unions, and independent media to demand transparency and fairness in the vote count.
“The future of Cameroon is at stake today. May the people’s will be respected, and may law and justice prevail,” he concluded.
Atanga Nji Fires Back
Minister Paul Atanga Nji responded swiftly with a strongly worded statement, describing Tchiroma as a troubled candidate and an impostor.
He accused Tchiroma of violating electoral laws, broadcasting a self-proclamation speech from his home, and trying to set Cameroon on fire and blood through secret networks at home and abroad.
The Minister claimed his department had already received intelligence days earlier about a candidate planning to declare victory outside official channels. He insisted that the election process would be completed according to the law, without disturbance.
A Nation on Edge
Tension is spreading quickly. The public is watching events unfold with anxiety, whispering:
“Is this democracy or a movie we’ve watched too many times before?”
The streets are uneasy. Rumors are flying. Fear is rising faster than hope.
Ambazonians’ Resistance and Its Ripple Effect
For Ambazonia, this confrontation reveals deep cracks inside the post-Biya political system.
For years, Ambazonians have stood their ground against Biya’s regime through determined resistance, sustained defiance, and the establishment of alternative governance structures in liberated areas. Their bravery in the face of military occupation and state repression has shifted the psychological balance of power, showing that the regime is not invincible.
This steadfast resistance has emboldened today’s opposition figures, who are now more willing to confront the regime’s electoral manipulation openly. What was once whispered in corners is now being declared from podiums. The example set by Ambazonians — refusing to accept imposed legitimacy — is now echoing across the entire political landscape of La République du Cameroun.
Tchiroma’s Next Test: Turning Capital into Action
Tchiroma has now gained significant political capital by openly challenging the regime’s electoral machinery. But political capital alone is not enough. If he is serious about dismantling Biya’s entrenched authoritarian system, he must translate his popularity into mass civil action.
A decisive first step would be to enforce nationwide ghost towns — a tool that Ambazonians have successfully used for years to paralyze the regime’s economic and administrative machinery. By calling for coordinated stay-at-home protests across the country, Tchiroma could test his actual popular support, disrupt the regime’s flow of power, and demonstrate that the people, not Yaoundé, can dictate national rhythms.
If Tchiroma cannot rally the population into sustained, disciplined civil disobedience, his challenge may remain symbolic. But if he can, it could mark the beginning of a genuine internal uprising against the system.
Only after establishing this internal power shift can he realistically move toward dismantling the deeper structures of domination, particularly the French–Cameroonian cooperation accords, which remain the real noose around the country’s neck. Without confronting those agreements, any talk of sovereignty or reform remains superficial.
Strategic Diplomacy: The Trump Window
If Tchiroma is to succeed while operating from hiding, he must also think beyond internal politics and leverage international realignments. This means pursuing a transactional diplomatic agreement with the United States under the Trump administration, which has taken a tougher stance toward French neo-colonial structures in Africa.
To sweeten such a deal, Tchiroma would need to publicly declare his readiness to sit down with Ambazonia for negotiations without any preconditions. This bold move would send a powerful message: that the post-Biya political order will no longer be built on denial and suppression, but on dialogue and strategic realignment.
In return, he should request American support to help untie the colonial noose — the dense network of political, economic, and military agreements binding La République du Cameroun to France. This would directly challenge France’s grip over the region at a moment when President Macron and President Trump are not on good speaking terms, creating a rare geopolitical opening.
The iron is hot. If Tchiroma truly intends to break from the old order and lead Cameroon toward a new political reality, now is the moment to strike.
Implications for Ambazonia
Tchiroma’s claims weaken the legitimacy of the Yaoundé regime, echoing what Ambazonians have said for decades: that elections in Cameroon are controlled and manipulated.
Atanga Nji’s response shows that the security state and civilian factions are not united, creating openings for political and diplomatic leverage.
As Yaoundé faces internal divisions and international scrutiny, Ambazonia can position itself as a stable, organized political force with its own legitimate leadership.
This power struggle could stretch Cameroon’s military and political capacities, making it harder for the regime to manage both internal fractures and the ongoing Ambazonian resistance.
Conclusion
The battle between Tchiroma and Atanga Nji has just begun, but it is already shaking Cameroon’s political foundations.
For Ambazonia, this is more than a news story — it is a strategic opportunity. The cracks within La République could become turning points in the broader struggle for self-determination and sovereignty. The courage shown by Ambazonians over the past eight years has not only changed the battlefield in Ambazonia but has also inspired internal opposition to stand up to a regime once thought untouchable.
For Tchiroma, the moment of truth has arrived. If he intends to bring real change, he must convert rhetoric into coordinated national action, use his political capital to enforce ghost towns nationwide, enter bold diplomatic negotiations with the United States, commit to unconditional dialogue with Ambazonia, and confront the French cooperation accords that keep the country under external control. Anything less would risk reinforcing the very system he claims to oppose.
Ali Dan Ismael, Editor-in-Chief
