Son Of Late Dakole Daissala, who Was Never A Militant Of MDR When His Father Was Alive, Splits The Party In A Fight Over Leadership

MDR has been an ally of the ruling CPDM since 1992, when it saved Paul Biya’s party from becoming a minority in parliament

There is a fierce leadership battle in the MDR Party, whose, Founding National President, Senator Dakole Daissala, a former member of Government, passed away in 2022. When Dakole Daissala died, one of his longtime close collaborators, Senator Paulin Djorwe, in line with the Constitution of the part, took over as the Interim National President of the party.  He definitely played his cards well, and he was confirmed in the post as National President of the party, at the party’s congress with held in Maroua.

But then Daissala Tigana Tassi, the son of the late Dakole Daissala, who reported was never a militant of MDR when his father was National President, surfaced and laid claim to the post of National President of the party. He probably thought that it was a matter of inheritance, and that it was his right to succeed his late father, as National President of MDR. Daissala Tigana, is said to have the support of the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, who is allegedly encouraging him to go ahead, and take over the leadership of what he considers as Tigana’s late father’s party.

Two National Executive Bureau s For One Party

The fight over  the leadership of  MDR has split the party, as Daissala Tigana who  had declared himself National President of the MDR, has his Executive Bureau , while the National Executive Bureau that was duly elected at the MDR  Congress, is under Paulin Djorwe.

A large majority of MDR militants are reportedly behind Paulin Djorwe, and are said to be telling Daissala Tigana that MDR was never, and is not a family property, and that even his father who was the Founding National President of the MDR never laid claim to the ownership of the party, and that was why he did not make a family member his constitutional successor as regards the party’s leadership. More so, the militants have been stressing the fact Daissala Tigana was never a militant of  the MDR, when his father was alive.

In a recent outing, the Secretary of Daissala Tigana faction of the MDR, Wore Justin, declared that Paulin Djorwe is an impostor and not the leader of MDR.  Senator Paulin Djorwe on his part has repeatedly said that all he knows of Daissala Tigana, is that he is the son of the late National President of MDR, Senator Dakole Daissala. He says he does not know Daissala Tigana as a militant of MDR, not to talk of him being President of the party. MDR currently runs a number of councils in the Far North Region.

MDR Has Been An Ally Of The CPDM Since 1992

Meanwhile, It should be noted that MDR of Dakiole Daissala that was created in earlyy 1992, had six precious parliamentary seats in the Far North Region, at the first multiparty legislative elections that held on March 1, 1992, and was boycotted by SDF, CDU and a number of other opposition parties. After that election, the CPDM party found itself in a very difficult situation, as it won less than 90 seats in the 180 member National Assembly. UNDP of Bello Bouba Maigari  Maigari which then was an opposition party, had 68 seats, while UPC of Augustiin Frederick Kodock had 21 seats. This meant that if UNDP, UPC and MDR had had come together, the opposition would have had a majority in parliament. But unfortunately, selfish interest surfaced.

Statistics showed that if CPDM was able woo MDR with its six votes into an alliance, their total votes will be over 90, and thus gives the CPDM a majority support in parliament. So the CPDM got into a tough negotiation with MDR, which finally signed an alliance with the CPDM, and got a number of ministerial posts in return.  Some years later,  the MDR was dropped from the Government, apparently in line with part of the agreement they reached in 1992. But the alliance between CPDM and MDR has continued, and since the creation of the Senate, President Biya has always appointed the MDR leader into the Senate. It was Dakole Daissala that was appointed into the Senate in 2013 and 2018. After his death in 2022, Paulin Djorwe who replaced Dakole Daissala as National President of MDR, was after the March 2023 senatorial election, of the 30 persons that President Biya appointed as Senators.

This is thought to be the main reason why Daissala Tigana Tassi, the son of the late leader of the MDR, has embarked on the fight over the leadership of the party. His strategy is said to be that if he is in control of the party, he will try to reinforce the partnership with the ruling CPDM, and hopefully negotiate an entry into government after the 2025 presidential election. But the one big problem he has in fight with Paulin Djorwe over the leadership of MD R, is that before his father, Dakole Daissala died, he had reportedly sent the name of Paulin Djorwe to the Presidency, as the person to replaced him. That seems to the reason why the Minister of Territorial Administration, Pau l Atanga Nji, has been supporting Daissala Tigana only behind the scene. The MINAT Boss has so far not come out publicly to support Tagana, like he has been controversially doing  with the leadership conflict in PCRN.. When  MDR under Paulin  Djonwe held  to hold its congress in Maroua some months  ago, the DO of the area apparently acting on instruction attempted to stop it, but it did not work,. He had to backtrack when the MDR militants stood their ground that  the congress was legal, and must hold. .

Joe Dinga Pefok (uncle Joe)

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