Kamto seeks Northern Regions Support, Pledges Return of Ahidjo’s Remains if Elected
By Synthia Lateu
In a move to galvanize support ahead of the 2025 presidential election, opposition leader Maurice Kamto has unveiled his vision for the development of Northern Cameroon, encompassing the Far North, North, and Adamawa regions.
In a four-page document released on July 9, Kamto appealed to the population of these regions to support his presidential bid.
He acknowledged the increasing political significance of Northern Cameroon, noting that he had extracted and released key priorities pertaining to these regions from his broader campaign manifesto due to be published in full in the coming days.
“I call on the political and intellectual elites, traditional rulers, religious authorities, civil society organizations, women, youth, and the entire population of the North to support my candidacy,” Kamto declared.
He outlined five key pillars of his development plan for the regions if elected in October, including: improving security, addressing famine and malnutrition, closing the development gap, and repatriating the remains of Cameroon’s first President, Amadou Ahidjo.
Kamto emphasized that his political engagement is rooted in the well-being of the population. He said the Northern regions suffer disproportionately from the ills of underdevelopment: widespread hunger, insecurity, poor educational outcomes, lack of industry, inadequate infrastructure especially roads, cyclical flooding, and recurrent epidemics such as cholera.
“I have included in my program for Cameroon, on the occasion of the October 2025 presidential election, projects, actions, and emergency measures for this important part of our country,” He said.
As part of a broader vision for national reconciliation and the honoring of Cameroon’s historical figures, Kamto promised to organize the official return of the remains of late President Amadou Ahidjo, currently buried in Senegal.
“There is no nation without a history, nor history without great figures,” Kamto said. “Cameroon’s political history has been written in pain, often under the weight of authoritarian rule. It is a history of wounded and divided memories.”
Kamto’s appeal comes at a time when the Northern Regions have become a focal point of political ambition. Following the resignations from government of key northern figures like Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari , along with growing activity from various political actors, observers note that the political winds are blowing strong across the Northern regions making it a strategic terrain for any candidate with presidential ambitions in 2025.
