In a move that has sent ripples through Cameroon’s political landscape, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, officially resigned from the government yesterday. This resignation, coming just four months before the presidential election, marks the end of a long-standing alliance between Bakary, who also leads his political party, the FSNC, and President Paul Biya.

The resignation, while significant, wasn’t entirely unexpected. For weeks, a sense of impending rupture had been palpable. Two weeks ago, in his political stronghold of Garoua in the northern part of the country, the former Minister of Communication and government spokesperson delivered a scathing and uncompromising critique of President Biya’s 43-year rule. Addressing a crowd of supporters, he denounced his long association with the government, stating it had borne no fruit for his region and its people.

Bakary declared that, for these reasons, he could no longer call on people to vote for someone he deemed “responsible for the misfortunes” of the northern populations. This past Tuesday morning, following up on his public statements, he submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister after a meeting that lasted over an hour. Sources indicate that a copy of the letter was also sent to the presidency, addressed to Paul Biya directly.

With Bakary’s departure, President Biya loses a crucial ally in northern Cameroon, a region known as the country’s largest electoral stronghold, especially with the presidential election fast approaching.

For Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the next step, according to his advisors, is likely his own nomination as a candidate for the upcoming presidential election. A central committee meeting of his FSNC party is scheduled for next Friday in Garoua to finalize this decision.