The new Lamido of Maroua, in the Far North region, will be announced next Saturday. Ahead of the election, Jean-Marc Ekoa Mbarga, senior divisional officer for the Diamaré division (Maroua), has pledged to remove all barriers likely to distort the outcome of this consultation. For that reason, he met with the notables of the Garoua lamidat this week, to consolidate the voters’ list.

In Maroua, there are debates about which notables can be listed on the electoral college. In the end, by consensus between the lamidat and the administration, only 13 of the 20 notables were registered in next Saturday's electoral college. Jean Marc Ekoa Mbarga was keen to explain to the press that the other 7 notables acquired this title through the goodwill of the previous lamido.

Similarly, not all lawan (canton chiefs) will be voting. The Kawtala and Papata lawans will not be taking part in the election, as they are considered bedridden. As a result, only 21 of the 23 existing lawans are considered for the election next Saturday. In other words, there is now an electoral college of 34 people, including notables and lawans.

For Jean Marc Ekoa Mbarga, all that remains to be done is to ensure that the 38 people who have applied are indeed legitimate candidates for this election. But also that the paperwork in their files complies with the requirements.

Former lamido Bakary Bouba Alioum died on the night of Monday, July 18, 2023, at the Yaoundé General Hospital following an illness. He ruled the lamidate for 20 years.

Michel Ange Nga