Biya has moved key ally Marafa Hamidou Yaya to the Territorial Administration Ministry which controls the electoral machinery...
Marafa Hamidou Yaya Minister of Territorial Administration was for many years Secretary General of the presidency; he trained in the United States as an oil engineer favours and understands Western corporate minds and helped coordinate economic reforms with donors...
The architects of his northern victory were Ahmadou Ali (Presidency Secretary General and head of the gendarmerie); Marafa Hamidou (special advisor to the President); Alhadji Abbo a rich industrialist...