Members of the CPDM from the North West region are gearing up to celebrate 40 years of President Paul Biya in power.
North West CPDM elite in Yaounde have met and brainstormed on how to do a befitting celebration of President Paul Biya’s 40years as Head of State on November 6.
The North West and the President share a strong bond. One that observers say has stood the test of time and has been tested like gold in the furnace. In his four decade stay in power, Paul Biya has bestowed confidence on aborigines of the North West region. He has appointed them to top jobs such as the premiership. One of his longest serving Prime Minister has been Philemon Yang from the North West region. Fon Angwafo III of Mankon in the North West region remained the first vice President of Biya’s CPDM party till his death on May 21, 2022. President Biya’s special ties with the region might have begun from his first day in office. His oath of office was conducted by Solomon Tandeng Muna, the then House Speaker from the North West region.
Throughout his rule, President Biya seems to have had a soft spot for the region. When he chose to mutate the Cameroon National Union, CNU to the Cameroon People Democratic Movement, CPDM on 24 March 1885, he picked Bamenda, headquarters of the region.
Biya came back on December 8, 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the armed forces in Bamenda. The visit was great and eventful. He offered the University of Bamenda, and the referral hospital. The university has flagged off – offering learning opportunities to his young compatriots of the North West region and beyond. But the ongoing conflict in the region has stalled the construction of the referral hospital. One of the highlight of his visit was Biya’s first meeting in Bamenda with his long-time political rival John Fru Ndi of the Social Democratic Front, SDF. The meet and talk encounter doused tensions among their supporters – giving Bamenda some significance in the Biya regime.
No Hard Feelings
The North West region has not always supported the Head of State. Many dumped the CPDM for the SDF in the North West region. Locals were hostile to supporters of the party – killed supporters of President Biya’s party and destroyed their property. These militants did not surrender their membership, even when the CPDM had only one parliamentarian and controlled a single council. Today, following the 2020 municipal and legislative elections, Biya’s CPDM swept all but one parliamentary seat, and controls all the 34 councils of the region. But these elections took place under a difficult security situation caused by the ongoing conflict. The region is looking up to President Biya to find a lasting solution to the armed conflict between separatist fighters and the armed forces that is fast switching to criminal activities carried out by young adults.
Jude VIBAN
