Cameroon’s political landscape could be on the brink of a dramatic shift as the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) gathers in Yaoundé for a pivotal meeting that may end its nearly three-decade-long alliance with President Paul Biya.
Held on Saturday, June 28, at the Yaoundé Convention Center, the “exceptional” session of the UNDP’s expanded central committee comes amid mounting pressure—from a disillusioned grassroots base, a tense political climate, and the looming October 2025 presidential election.
For party leader Bello Bouba Maïgari, the choice is stark: remain tethered to Biya’s presidential majority or reclaim the UNDP’s independence as a dominant voice in Northern Cameroon.
Founded in 1991, the UNDP once stood as the political backbone of the north. But internal dissatisfaction has surged in recent years, driven by electoral losses and a sense of political stagnation.
Party militants have grown restless, increasingly calling for a clean break from Biya’s ruling CPDM. The party’s diminished influence in its historic strongholds, particularly since the early 2000s, has intensified calls for autonomy.
“The loss of ground has become too glaring,” one senior party figure noted. “We need to redefine our identity.”
The stakes are high. Following the recent defection of Issa Tchiroma’s FSNC from the ruling coalition, a UNDP withdrawal would mark a second major rupture within Biya’s alliance, potentially weakening the president’s grip ahead of what is expected to be a highly contested election.
Behind closed doors, the government is said to be applying heavy pressure on UNDP leadership to avoid a public split. However, reports that opposition figures, including Maurice Kamto, may attend the Yaoundé gathering point to the possibility of a seismic political realignment.
Speculation is also swirling around a possible presidential bid by Bello Bouba Maïgari himself. If confirmed, it would mark the UNDP’s full return to the national stage as an independent force—signalling not just the end of an alliance, but the reawakening of political ambition in Northern Cameroon.
Saturday’s decision is about more than party strategy.
It could reshape regional representation and catalyse a broader reorganisation of Cameroon’s opposition. For many in the north, it’s a chance to reclaim a voice long overshadowed by loyalty to the ruling power.
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