René Sadi

René Emmanuel Sadi (born 21 December 1948 ) is a Cameroonian politician who has served in the government of Cameroon as Minister of Territorial Administration since 2011. Under President Paul Biya, he was Second Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency from 2004 to 2009 and Minister for Special Duties from 2009 to 2011. Sadi also served as Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), the ruling political party in Cameroon, from 2007 to 2011.

Administrative and political career Sadi was born in Maroua, located in the Far North Region of Cameroon. Unlike most people in Cameroon's predominantly Muslim north, Sadi is a Christian. on 8 December 2004; Sadi succeeded Joseph Charles Doumba, whose health was reportedly poor, as secretary-general. Following the election, in which the RDPC won an overwhelming majority of seats, Sadi denied the opposition's accusations of fraud; according to Sadi, the opposition displayed an undemocratic mindset by refusing to acknowledge legitimate defeat and blaming the RDPC instead of engaging in self-criticism. Sadi said that the RDPC won because it had delivered real results to the people and engaged in grassroots campaigning.

By 2008, there was speculation that Sadi, who held a key post at the Presidency and was also the RDPC's Secretary-General, could potentially succeed the aging Biya as President of the Republic, possibly at the time of the 2011 presidential election or the subsequent election. Sadi was regarded as a powerful figure; unlike the rest of the political elite, he was reputedly "strong enough to challenge presidential decisions, and even ... disobey such directives". According to one analysis, Sadi was Biya's most likely successor. It was surmised that the RDPC leadership would prefer a successor who was not associated with Biya's own native region in the south, and Sadi's status as a northerner of Christian faith could enable him to appeal broadly across both the largely Muslim north and the largely Christian south. Acting on Biya's behalf, Sadi went to ELECAM, the electoral commission, and submitted Biya's papers to stand as the RDPC candidate for the October 2011 presidential election on 4 September 2011. Following Biya's re-election, he appointed Sadi to the important position of Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization on 9 December 2011, while also removing him from his post as RDPC Secretary-General.