Cameroon’s North Poised to Ignite 2025 Election Revolution Amid Ambazonia’s Silent Advance
By Andre Momo
As Cameroon edges closer to the October 12, 2025, presidential election, a seismic shift brews in the northern regions, where over 2.5 million registered voters hold the potential to upend President Paul Biya’s 43-year grip on power. Mark Bareta, a prominent voice for Ambazonian self-determination, has spotlighted this electoral powerhouse, drawing a striking parallel to the 2.5 million votes Biya claimed in the 2018 polls—widely condemned as fraudulent. With northern heavyweights Tchiroma and Bello stepping into the race, the North could emerge as the game-changer, igniting a political upheaval that might just force accountability for decades of misrule, including the betrayal of former leader Ahmadou Ahidjo. Yet, as this drama unfolds, Ambazonia’s freedom fighters press their silent advance toward Buea, watching a nation teetering on the brink.
Bareta’s analysis cuts to the core: the Muslim communities of the North, known globally for their electoral zeal, could turn the tide if mobilized effectively. With a voter base nearly matching Biya’s 2018 tally, this bloc holds unprecedented leverage. Should Tchiroma and Bello unite, leveraging their regional influence to counter the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM)’s notorious election rigging, the North could spark a rebellion against a regime that has thrived on manipulation. The stakes are high—Biya’s government, now led by a 92-year-old leader, has relied on fraud to silence dissent, from the Anglophone crisis to the sidelining of opposition figures like Maurice Kamto in the West.
The West, already simmering with resentment over Kamto’s exclusion, could align with the North’s momentum, forging a civil struggle that challenges Biya’s dominance. This alliance might resonate beyond politics, tapping into a broader demand for justice that spans Cameroon’s fractured regions. Bareta’s vision of a northern spark igniting nationwide resistance is not far-fetched—trending sentiments on X suggest growing frustration with a regime that has failed to deliver peace or prosperity, especially as the Ambazonian war rages on.
Meanwhile, Ambazonia watches with bated breath. The Southern Cameroons conflict, now in its eighth year, has claimed thousands of lives and displaced countless others, with recent atrocities in Mbingo highlighting the colonial brutality of Biya’s forces. As freedom fighters advance toward Buea, the heart of Ambazonian aspiration, the North’s potential uprising could either bolster their cause or complicate it. A weakened central government might create openings for Ambazonian independence, yet a fractured Cameroon could also deepen the war’s chaos. The silence of Ambazonia’s forces, as Bareta notes, is strategic—waiting to see if Cameroonians will rise to hold Biya accountable for his legacy of repression, including his role in ousting Ahidjo, a northern icon.
The question Bareta poses—“Will Cameroonians rise to the occasion?”—hangs heavy. The North’s voter strength, if harnessed with integrity, could force a reckoning, exposing the CPDM’s electoral fraud and demanding justice for Ahidjo’s legacy. The West’s alienation and Ambazonia’s resolve add layers to this brewing storm. As October 12 approaches, the eyes of the nation—and the world—will be on the North. Will its leaders seize this moment to topple a dictator, or will Biya’s machine once again silence the people’s will? For Ambazonia, the answer could shape the battlefield. The time to act is now—Cameroon’s future hangs in the balance.
