Mahamat Kaka had mobilised all the resources of the state to win and his many 'bureaux de soutien' – roadside booths distributing cash for votes – spent heavily...

But Masra's electoral meetings in Moundou and Abéché were so successful that he departed from the script imagining that he could poll more votes than Mahamat Kaka – which he probably did – and turn his imaginary contest into a real bid for power...

Once he had been co-opted by Mahamat Kaka and appointed prime minister on 1 January – and especially after the murder on 28 February of Yaya Dillo Djérou who had helped him flee the country in October 2022 – he had nothing bad to say about the obviously manipulated electoral institutions until late in the campaign...

This was enough to scare Mahamat Kaka and ANGE excluded most of the 2 900 election monitors trained by the EU...

Mahamat Kaka acted quickly...

At no point did he call for the release of over 80 members of his Les Transformateurs party who were arrested after trying to act as observers at the count let alone doubt the legitimacy of ANGE or the Constitutional Court whose members had been appointed by Mahamat Kaka...

Mahamat Kaka's father used we hear to demand to see the genuine voting figures despite announcing the results he had decided on...

It is further evidence that Mahamat Kaka values familiarity and the comfort of his entourage to real-world skills...

Most say the result will be manipulated to reflect the desires of Kaka just as the constitutional referendum was (Dispatches 20/12/23 Mahamat Déby's new constitution will reinforce central control)...

Questions will then be asked of Chad's leader Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno 'Kaka' about his commitment to solidarity with his Zaghawa people on the Sudanese side of the border (AC Vol 65 No 2 Mahamat Kaka co-opts Succès in pre-election campaign)...

France has convened a humanitarian aid conference for 15 April concerned mainly with the effects of the war on stability in Chad (AC Vol 65 No 2 Mahamat Kaka co-opts Succès in pre-election campaign)...

A few days later Mahamat Kaka declared his candidacy for the presidential elections on 6 May silencing any doubt that he is governing in the manner set by his late father Idriss Deby Itno (AC Vol 62 No 9 Death on the front line a coup and then an about turn)...

A few days after that announcement Succès Masra the former opposition leader co-opted by Mahamat Kaka to lead his government as prime minister on 1 January declared his candidacy in the presidential poll...

In the weeks before he died Yaya Dillo had become very vocal against the regime again and was trying to mobilise his relatives in the military who were unhappy with Mahamat Kaka...

Mahamat Kaka's mother is Gorane and he is often considered closer to them than to the Zaghawa...

Only an elite member directly related to Mahamat Kaka like Yaya Dillo would dare make such a challenge pundits said...

But it seems Mahamat Kaka had already decided to do away with Yaya Dillo...

That action attracted timid comments from Brussels Paris and Washington the UN and the African Union who placed faith in an investigation (AC Vol 64 No 23 Presidents Mahamat Kaka and Macron meet on security threats)...

Relations within the elite will be more complicated for Mahamat Kaka to manage now but not seriously so...

Mahamat Kaka will believe nobody in his extended family can or will oppose him now...

Mahamat Kaka would be unwise to take too much comfort from his latest moves analysts warn...

Some see Mahamat Kaka's actions as shows of strength that quell all opposition but others think the violence is a sign of weakness and a lack of control over the army's leading officers...

His mother belonged to the Kouriara the same sub-clan as Idriss Déby Itno and Mahamat Kaka...