As Cameroon edges closer to the 12 October presidential election, one familiar figure on the ballot is Issa Tchiroma Bakary a man whose career spans engineering, imprisonment, and decades in the political arena.
Born and raised in Garoua, in the northern part of the country, Issa Tchiroma trained as a mechanical engineer at Supmeca Paris. He began his career in the railway sector, but his trajectory soon changed after he spent seven years (1984–1991) as a political prisoner. That period, he has often recalled, profoundly shaped his outlook and future in public service.
Tchiroma first entered Parliament in 1992 as a reform-minded legislator, quickly making a name for himself in a political landscape dominated by shifting alliances. In the same year, he notably rejected overtures from the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) and instead aligned with the ruling CPDM, a move that would influence his political path.
Between 1992 and 1996, he served as Minister of Transport, where he oversaw reforms credited with modernising Cameroon’s transport sector. More than a decade later, in 2009, he was appointed Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson. For ten years, he was the official voice of government policy, especially during moments of crisis.
In 2019, Issa Tchiroma transitioned to another portfolio as Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, where he focused on policies to boost job creation and skills development for Cameroon’s growing youth population.
Beyond government service, Issa Tchiroma has been a political party leader in his own right. Since 2007, he has headed the Cameroon National Salvation Front (FSNC), a party he founded to promote national unity and renewal.
On 24 June 2025, he officially declared his candidacy for the presidency, presenting himself as a seasoned statesman with resilience forged by both adversity and experience.
As the campaign season unfolds, Issa Tchiroma is positioning his message on credibility, stability, and decades of public service which is an attempt to convince Cameroonians that his long-standing presence in national politics is an asset rather than a liability.
By Hilltopvoices Newsroom
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