Power sharing and succession:

 Northeners want post of Vice President
Some of those who hail from the three northern regions of the country are looking forward to an imminent change of constitution that would usher in the post of Vice President and which would be given to one of theirs.
By Tanyi Kenneth Musa in Yaounde
If there is any one thing President Paul Biya has succeeded to do throughout his 33-year reign, it is to hide the identity of his possible successor at the helm of the state. Although the president of the Senate is President Biya’s constitutional successor, it is evident to Cameroonians that Marcel Niat Njifenji is not the man the President would want to succeed him. First because he is already wearied by age and second because the Bamilékés, one of whom Niat Njifenji is, are not particularly liked or favoured by President Biya.
    For many years running, fingers have been pointing at the sitting minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, who, observers says, enjoys an extraordinarily close relationship with President Biya. Not much is said in this light about Sadi these days, but many Cameroonians do not seem to have ruled out the possibility of him succeeding the President.
    Nevertheless, one group of people who are very convinced that the presidential seat must be occupied by one of theirs after President Biya quits power, is the people of the three northern regions. From them power was given to Biya and to them it must be returned, is a philosophy that many of them reportedly pride themselves with.
    Talking to The Median last week on condition of anonymity, a member of the Grand North elite who is very close to power said: “Paul Biya understands that he has to hand this thing back to us. He doesn’t have any reason not to give it to one of us. Ahidjo moulded him and handed power to him on a platter of gold. It would be sheer ungratefulness on his part if he gives it to someone else.”
    Meantime, another northerner, an opinion leader who claimed that his view represented those of the majority of the people of the Far North, North and Adamawa regions, was more confident and analytical. Said he:

    “The President has already made indications that his successor will come from this part of the country. You will not know how he made them until I explain things to you. He is very happy with us because he has always reaped huge numbers of votes from northerners in elections. Take the last presidential election, for instance. Forty-two percent of his votes, that is, 1 610 997 votes of a total of 3 772 527 came from the Grand North. So he is poised to pay us back with the post of Vice President.
    “Just watch; in the March session of parliament he will introduce a bill for the revision of the constitution so that the post of Vice President should return. The Vice President will be his constitutional successor and the man to be appointed in that position will be a “Nordiste.” Given my high connections, I already know who that person will be.” 
    If things happen as explained by the above analyst, then President Biya would have angered many of the Grand Southerners, particularly the people of his native Centre/South area who think their right to maintain political power is non-negotiable.
    “Biya is not a fool,” one of them, who also asked not to be named, told this reporter. “He is keeping the identity of his successor close to his chest because it is going to be a man from his area. Biya has learned from Ahidjo’s mistake; he cannot bypass his own people and hand power to a ‘foreigner’. Such a ‘foreigner’ would only end up messing us, his people. That can never happen in this our national triangle!”   
    Be it as it may, President Biya’s successor will not remain a secret forever. Cameroonians will welcome him whenever he comes and will treat him accordingly. What he must bear in mind is that his rule must be very different from the sitting President’s because Cameroonians would not tolerate any excesses from him as they are doing to Biya.