In a fiery speech that doubled as an indictment of Cameroon’s long-standing political establishment, Issa Tchiroma Bakary accepted the nomination of the Union for Change on September 13, 2025, vowing to end what he called “four decades of confiscated democracy.”
Standing before a packed gathering on the anniversary of Ruben Um Nyobè’s assassination, a date he called “a sacred reminder of sacrifice”, Tchiroma tore into the country’s ruling system, accusing it of turning fear, division, and manipulation into tools of governance.
“Mr. Outgoing President, you have governed for 43 years. I come to propose 3 to 5 years of transition to rebuild what you have destroyed,” he charged, throwing down a direct challenge to the incumbent. “Leave your palaces. Come and campaign. Defend your 43 years of rule before the people.”
A Scathing Indictment of the Status Quo
Tchiroma did not mince words. He described Cameroon as a nation “strangled for more than 40 years” by a regime that has robbed citizens of their dignity and their voice. He accused those in power of perpetuating a system of “proxy rule,” where fear and repression have silenced dissent while corruption and mismanagement hollowed out national institutions.
“The people will no longer allow their will to be confiscated,” he said, insisting that the October 12 elections would be defended “vote by vote, ballot by ballot.”
Blueprint for a Breakthrough
Far from promising another era of personal rule, Tchiroma pledged a single transitional mandate designed to reset the country’s democratic foundations. His six-point plan calls for:
Ending armed conflict and restoring national peace.
Auditing state finances to expose decades of corruption and waste.
Overhauling the Constitution and Electoral Code to prevent future electoral fraud.
Granting full rights to the diaspora through dual nationality.
Empowering youth and women through employment programs.
Expanding electricity and Internet access to jumpstart a faltering economy.
“This is not about one man or one party,” he told the crowd. “It is about rescuing a country looted and left in ruins.”
Unifying a Fractured Opposition
In one of the speech’s most significant moments, Tchiroma extended a hand to rival opposition leaders and civil society groups, urging them to put aside old grudges and unite behind a single mission: breaking the grip of a system that has ruled for nearly half a century.
“The time for egos is over,” he declared. “The time for personal ambitions is over. Cameroon needs victory, not division.”
A Warning to the Regime
Tchiroma warned that this time, any attempt to rig the election would meet a mobilized and vigilant citizenry. “You have sown fear for 43 years, but today fear has changed sides,” he said, triggering chants from the crowd.
Launching his campaign on the anniversary of Um Nyobè’s death, Tchiroma cast himself as the standard-bearer of a generational fight for freedom. “Like him yesterday, today we say: the people must choose their destiny,” he thundered.
The Stakes for October 12
The October 12 vote could be the most consequential in decades. For Tchiroma, it represents a choice between what he called “the continuity of disaster” and a “transition of hope.”
Whether his call resonates widely enough to unseat a regime entrenched for over four decades remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Issa Tchiroma has positioned himself not merely as a candidate, but as a challenger to the entire political order, a man betting his life and his legacy on breaking Cameroon’s cycle of fear and restoring power to the people.
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