Tchiroma not giving up on stolen victory ⁰

From his base in self-imposed exile, opposition ace Issa Tchiroma Bakary is not giving up on his position as the legitimate occupant of the Cameroonian presidency.

This is almost two weeks after Tchiroma’s former ally President Paul Biya, 92, was sworn in for an eighth term in office which he had occupied since 1982.

The former railway engineer worked under Cameroon’s second president as employment minister between 2019 to 2025 and previously communication minister from 2009 to 2019 and that of transport from 1992 to 1996.

Far from being daunted by Biya clinging onto power, Tchiroma continues to see himself as the legal holder of the “elected President of the Republic” and has since appointed Alce Nkom as his official spokesperson.

The 76-year-old is reportedly living in exile in an unnamed neighbouring country and is said to be busy restructuring what he calls the “Elected Presidency of the Republic” by making new appointments.

According to a “decree” of appointment dated November 17, 2025, and reviewed by the APA (African Press Agency), Nkom, a prominent defender of fundamental freedoms in Cameroon and a leading member of civil society, is authorised “to speak on behalf of the President-elect and to represent his positions in institutional, diplomatic, and media exchanges.”

On November 9, Issa Tchiroma issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Biya regime to release all prisoners arbitrarily arrested over their opinions or ”for supporting the truth”.

He warned: “After 48 hours, you will bear the consequences.” This appointment comes amid a climate of profound political crisis. On November 6, Paul Biya, 92, was sworn in before both houses of Parliament meeting in congress in Yaoundé, beginning a new term after more than four decades at the head of the country, since 1982.

According to the official results proclaimed by the Constitutional Council on October 27, two weeks after the October 12 election, Mr. Biya received 53.66 percent of the vote, compared to 31.19 percent for Mr. Tchiroma Bakary of the National Salvation Front of Cameroon (FSNC).

Contesting these results, the leader of the FSNC declared that there are now “two presidents”: “the one elected by the Cameroonian people, which is me, and the one appointed by the president of the Constitutional Council, whom you know.”

Mobilisation and allegations of violence

The document signed by Mr. Tchiroma Bakary refers to “the sovereign will of the Cameroonian people expressed during the presidential election of October 12, 2025” and evokes “the institutional
hostage-taking preventing the full and free expression of this sovereignty.”

In a video message posted on Facebook on Wednesday, November 5, the opposition leader praised the success of the “ghost town” day he had called for, stating that “nearly a hundred of our children fell on the field of honour so that we might regain our freedom.”

However, no official figures have been released by the Cameroonian authorities.

The decree emphasises “the need for clear, legitimate and responsible communication from the elected presidency to national and international public opinion,” a mission now entrusted to Ms. Nkom, known for her commitment to the defense of human rights.

Source: APANews