Married elsewhere, shining politically in areas of origin.

In the Cameroonian context, localising such have not produced anything much different; be it within political parties or national politics. 

With the changing times, political discourse has been changing, with many pushing for more young people and women in politics.

Thus, since 1982 when President Paul Biya assumed the highest public office of the land, adjustments have been made in this light, forcing political configurations to create specific quotas for women, young people and persons living with disabilities.

But in the higher echelons of politics and power sharing, experts say it is not about sympathy but those who have the wherewithal to market a political ideology to the highest number possible and harvests votes when the chips are down.

Even with the domineering presence of men in the nation’s political landscape, there are several female high flyers who keep breaking records every day. 

There is also another rare breed of female folks who continue to enjoy uncommon grassroots support in a way never seen before.

While such voices may be few within the opposition, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, of President Paul Biya, has them in abundance. 

Among these women, many have shattered even the glass ceiling of matrimonial limitations to still hold significant influence in their areas of origin.

They are the women who bring in the votes for Paul Biya and the CPDM, across the country, from their areas of origin and beyond. 

They have defeated the cynical narrative from some naysayers that once a woman is/was married to a man from another area, she ceases to be relevant in her area of origin.

It is an uncommon political trend of special women whom, analysts say and rightly so, have not been celebrated enough for the uniqueness of their political exploits, irrespective of matrimonial links outside their areas of origin.

The Guardian Post sequences these female political gladiators, mostly of the CPDM, who are married elsewhere but making it big in politics in their areas of origin.

Their chronicling comes with across-the-board acclamation that they are great but silent defining characters in grassroots politics.

Amazingly, their exploits, many are positing and painfully so, have sometimes been met with resistance from people without political substance, who feel threatened at the pace at which these women are excelling in politics. 

Observers say to make this pegging warrants a demonstration of undeniable show of political mastery and affinity to the people from where power is derived and not some wishful thinking. 

While others are limited in psyche, talking irrelevance, these women are political fishers of men who continue to shine in season and out of season. They have not just been running the show for the sake of seeking power. 

Many of those who know the worth and penetrating influence of these special women say they are the ones doing politics with compassion and sharing the dividends to their people. 

Oftentimes, they also prick the bile of political sycophants in the process without knowing, pundits say. 

Aside this, these unique mother hens of the Cameroonian political scenery have remained the ones through whom many continue to see the light and enjoy the dividends of politics and democracy. 

Who are these special women and how relevant are they in the political equation of their areas of origin, despite being married elsewhere?

Yah Sunday Judith epse Achidi

Judith Achidi, the emblematic General Manager of the Cameroon Telecommunications, CAMTEL, since December 2018, is no newcomer to politics. 

She hails from Ndu Subdivision, Donga Mantgun Division of the North West Region, but is the wife of the late respected former Prime Minister, Simon Achidi Achidi Achu.

Her husband was once a national political weathercock in not only his native Santa, Mezam Division of the North West Region but across the nation. 

Achidi till date is being quoted for his political philosophy of “politics na jangi, you scratch my back, I scratch your own”. 

This axiom of his, which implies politics to be a give-and-take equation, is what is still being repeated all over.

Little wonder, in this same line, his wife, a towering female national political figure, Yah Sunday Judith epse Achidi, has remained a formidable political force in not just her native Ndu but across Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region. 

She is among the most prominent North West women in politics, who have a reach that transcends the Region. 

As the Queen mother who she is, Judith Achidi has in the last couple of years been an active force in not only reviving and strengthening the CPDM but crusading peace, effective schooling and living together.

Whether she is on ground or not, her presence is always felt across Donga Mantung Division through different social activities. 

In all these, she has maintained her calm and delivering on her job at CAMTEL, oftentimes reaching out to people in distress across the nation and preaching peace in the process.

Judith Achidi’s icing of politics with ‘social goodness’ has continued to endear her to the population. 

Whenever she stands to preach the gospel of the CPDM in her political fief of Donga Mantung Division, the victory for the ruling party has always been sweeping. 

Little wonder, not long ago, the Head of State, Paul Biya, who doubles as the National Chairman of the CPDM, appointed her into the prestigious position of the party’s Central Committee. 

If it is about brilliance, humility and humanity in politics, Judith Achidi, it is being said and outstandingly so, is a woman in cloud nine and her harvests has continued to grow. 

Célestine Ketcha Courtès

Ketcha Courtes also fits in this category as a native of Bangante, Nde Division of the West Region, who is married to a French man. 

Currently serving as Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ketcha Courtes does not play politics in her husband’s country of France.

She does politics in her native Cameroon, particularly in Bangangte, where she once served as mayor. 

Today, she is among the frontline women of mettle who have kept their areas of origin as bastions of the CPDM, despite matrimonial dispositions elsewhere.

Minister Ketcha Courtes is a CPDM grassroots bulldozer who has not stopped showing her affection for the ruling party, especially its long serving National Chairman, President Paul Biya. 

Many are saying that if the CPDM is breathing with ease in the West Region and Nde Division in particular, it is thanks to the grassroots politicking prowess of Ketcha Courtes.

Senator Emma Lafon epse Eno 

Senator Emma Lafon is another scarce specie of Cameroonian female political giants, married elsewhere but shining the light politically in her area of origin. 

The CPDM Senator is married to a man from Manyu Division in the South West Region but has remained a political catalyst of the CPDM in her native Bui Division of the North West Region.

She has shown across the years without doubt that Bui Division is her political base and not where she is married from. Eno Emma Lafon is currently serving her second mandate in the country’s third senate.

Minette Libom Li Likeng

Born Minette Medoumou, she is a native of Mvila Division of the South Region, married to popular man of God, Rev. Dr. Jean Libom Li Likeng. 

Minette Libom Li Likeng today serving as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications is no push over when it comes to politics.

Though her husband hails from the Littoral Region of the country, Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng plays politics in her native Mvila Division. She is the Head of the CPDM Permanent Divisional Delegation for the Division.

She has walked her way up through hard work, loyalty and perseverance. The softspoken minister has built a reputation uncommon to politicians in Cameroon when it comes to relating with the population. 

It is such rare power of hers that connects with the grassroots, which many are saying, continues to market and elevate her as a vital political umpire in the CPDM’s marketing strategy in the South Region.

The former Director General of the Customs Department is known for her resilience and ability to quieten storms and build consensus where even men fail. 

Across her native South Region, she is being treated as a priceless asset and supported for her rallying power and not being hunted as is the case elsewhere.

Dr Viviane Asheri Kilo 

The Secretary of State in the Ministry of Basic Education, Dr Asheri Kilo, is another silent female political bulwark who has stayed relevant in her Division of origin, irrespective of marital ties elsewhere.

Dr Asheri Kilo is a native of Bui Division in the North West Region. She is married to a man from Bali Nyonga, Mezam Division of the North West Region, whose only name we got as Fofung. 

Yet, she has continued to pitch tent with the CPDM in Bui Division, stimulating huge political capital for the party in power.

Dr Asheri has been on this lane for as long as she has been in government, giving political direction to thousands from the root of her ancestors, without making any noise about it. 

She has also spared no effort in making in routes when it comes to reaching out to the vulnerable.

Yaou Aïssatou

Yaou Aïssatou too is another female political heavyweight with tentacles steeped in her native Benue Division, precisely Garoua in the North Region. 

Like others, she is married to Dr Yaou, a native of Mayo Sava Division of the Far North Region.

She has not followed her husband to play politics in the Far North Region but has remained relevant in her native Benue Division, rising to the position of National President of the Women Wing of the CPDM party. 

Yaou Aïssatou is also Board Chairperson of the National Investment Corporation, SNI.

Senator Agnes Ndode Ntube epse Ndjock

Senator Agnes Ndode Ntube is a native of Kupe Muanenguba Division in the South West Region but married to a man from the Littoral Region. 

Despite these links, she has remained a powerful voice in Kupe Muanenguba politics, her Division of origin.

She is currently serving her third mandate, and has leveraged on her influence as a prominent businesswoman with an attachment to women empowerment to also influence many to join politics. 

As national president of the Association of Businesswomen in Cameroon, known by its French acronym, GFAC, Ntube has been and still remains an asset to CPDM grassroots mobilisation strategies in the South West Region and Kupe Muanenguba in particular.

Her 30 years in the business world have further made her an inspirational voice in showing many the way when it comes to politics. 

Koulsoumi Alhadji Boukar 

This Senior Tax Inspector also has another inspirational story when it comes to marriage and politics. 

Koulsoumi Alhadji Boukar is a native of Ngaoundere, Vina Division of the Adamawa Region but is married to Boukar, a former Private Secretary of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, a native of Mayo Sava Division of the Far North Region.

Her political fief remains her native Vina Division. She has continued to shine politically, rallying grassroots support for the party in power. 

Koulsoumi Alhadji Boukar has been serving as Secretary of State in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, since December 9, 2011.

Senator Fontama Hilda Aluma

She is a native of Boyo Division, but married to a man from Nkwen, Mezam Division of the North West Region. 

However, Senator Fontama’s political fief is not in her husband’s Nkwen but her native Boyo Division.

Since voted into the third legislature of the Senate, Senator Fontama has added more impetus to the activities of the CPDM across Boyo Division.   The Senator has adopted a motherly approach which has been constant in dealing with community challenges, empowering learners, youths, women and girls. 

The conviction with which Senator Fontama does community work has built huge political capital for the ruling party. 

She has continued to enjoy popular support and acceptance, raising the ruling party’s momentum and gaze at victory in political consultations. 

Today, she is being cited among the rare female politicians who, despite guarding their matrimonial backyard, continue to connect politically with kith and kins in their areas of origin to thrive politically. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3470 of Wednesday June 11, 2025