Tchiroma, Bello battle for the North

Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s vehicle drove out of the venue of what should have been his final rally in the Far North Region at about 7 :30pm this Thursday, abandoning thousands of supporters at the venue. Party officials say his motorcade left because of crowd disorder.

The Marche La Comice, which is now a cattle market in Maroua was filling up with supporters and FSNC militants since the afternoon, though the party’s candidate only arrived after nightfall.

A security cordon put in place by local party officials and volunteers, and rehearsed to ensure Tchiroma was not mobbed as has been seen elsewhere, was broken by excited supporters when candidate’s motorcade drove into the venue. Security was overwhelmed.

For about an hour, Tchiroma waited in his car for calm to return to permit him to step out and mount the podium. When he stood up to face the crowd through the slide roof-top of his vehicle, supporters went wild with excitement. The more security pushed the crowds back, the more they surged forward. The candidate was forced to return into his car.

At about 7:30pm, Tchiroma’s vehicle slowly drove out of the venue without a word about what next: event posted to the next day or definitely cancelled?

Fight For The Northern Regions

Tchiroma arrived in Maroua this Thursday from Mora and other parts of the Far North Region where he campaigned since he returned to the northern regions on Tuesday. He had campaigned in the West, Bamenda, Buea, Limbe and Douala last weekend before, pulling mammoth crowds everywhere.

His northern rival, Bello Bouba Maigari, who could become his ally at the end of the campaigns if declarations, even hushed, by certain party, can be taken seriously, has also been criss-crossing the northern regions, especially the vote-rich Far North, both men about on each others tracks.

This week of campaigning by both men looks like they are in a dog fight for dominance in their traditional fief. An observer in Maroua said yesterday, “The way Bello and Tchiroma are focussed on the northren regions, especially the Far North, it looks like they are campaigning for local elections, for whose party would win more parliamentary and municipal council seats.”

Reacting, a journalist covering both campaigns said, the reason is likely because of the huge northern vote because, though the Far North Region alone accounts for over 16 percent of the national electorate, second to the Centre Region, the three northern regions together hold over 33 percent of the electorate and have similar voting patterns. Hence, “who the three northern regions vote for, could emerge the winner in this election,” the journalist said.

Coalition Still Possible ?

Political commentators across the country and on social media are still hopeful that Bello and Tchiroma can pull together even at the last minute, though a statement issued by Bello’s NUDP on Wednesday, expressed bitterness over a remark on Monday by Tchiroma over Equinoxe TV, decribing Bello as a political lightweight.

That notwithstanding, a comment by NUDP’s Secretary General Pierre Flambeau on Wednesday over Equinoxce TV might has rekindled hopes of a possible normalization of relations between the two northern rivals, paving the way for a last minute coalition. Ngayap said he did not want to divulge behind the scenes actions.

Bello Bouba is expected to hold a campaign rally in Maroua tomorrow, before moving back home to Garoua for his closing rallies, like Tchiroma. All eyes are on Garoua this weekend for the last ditch hope of a coalition between the two northern heavyweights.

By Franklin Sone Bayen on special assignment in Maroua

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Supporters were still arriving