The outing in Garoua yesterday by the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement amply speaks of its desire not to renege on any strategies to grab a good part, if not all available seats, in the so-called battleground constituencies.

Garoua is a best illustration as attested by the massive turnout of members of the party across the entire North Region and the political capital the party will like to reap from the recent membership of Aminatou Ahidjo, daughter of the former Head of State Ahmadou Ahidjo who, in a her first public declaration, significantly made from her birthplace, said she was throwing all her weight behind the CPDM.

During the launching rally in Garoua chaired by the Secretary-General of the party Jean Nkuete, Aminatou's name was mentioned some 80 times in the six speeches made and in the course of the two musical interludes. This spontaneous solicitude is because the party in the North is counting very much on the galvanizing effect of her presence in the campaign and on the fact that never before in the past 3O years had an eminent or direct member of the Ahidjo household had publicly signed not only for the party but also pledged to work for the furtherance of the vision of President Paul Biya.

From the sheer applause and the massive presence of sellout crowds at each of her appearances, be they at her arrival at the Garoua international airport Sunday evening, at the rally in the CPDM hall or at the Benoue hotel where she has taken up residence, there is every evidence that the Aminatou effect will affect the elections in this part of the country. And positively so; even if real appreciation of that effect would only be made after the other principal parties struggling for the political dominance of the Region will come unto the dancing stage as it were.

What is symptomatic of the ceremony in Garoua yesterday is that the various political parties are arming up for the battleground constituencies like Bafoussam, Bamenda, Douala, Foumban, Kumba et al.