In a speech late on Monday, the 76-year-old former minister declared victory and urged Biya, who at 92 is the world’s oldest-serving head of state, to “show greatness” by conceding.
“Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma said. “The people have chosen. And this choice must be respected.”
The declaration marks a dramatic turn in the career of a man who for years defended Biya’s policies, including during the country’s most turbulent crises. His transformation from staunch ally to opposition figurehead and challenger is one of the most striking political shifts in Cameroon’s recent history.
His candidacy has electrified voters who are clamouring for change after more than four decades of Biya’s rule, during which economic development in the oil- and cocoa-producing nation has stagnated.
A collection of opposition parties and civic groups known as Union for Change has backed Tchiroma’s candidacy with the promise that he would serve as a transitional leader, carrying out audits and overdue reforms of state institutions.
Born in Garoua, in northern Cameroon, Tchiroma trained as a railway engineer in France before returning home to work for the national railway company.
His political career began in earnest in the early 1990s, following a six-year imprisonment over his alleged involvement in the failed 1984 coup against Biya.
–Reuters–
