Chad’s opposition is facing one of its most difficult periods since President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno took power following the death of his father, Idriss Déby, in 2021.
Deep internal divisions, the imprisonment of prominent leaders and the exile or death of key figures have weakened the opposition and allowed the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement to consolidate its grip on the country’s political system.
Analysts say the opposition lacks a unified leadership, with many of its most influential figures now either in prison, abroad or dead, according to a report by Jeune Afrique.
Succès Masra, leader of the Transformers party, has been imprisoned since May 2025. Prominent opposition politician Yaya Dillo was killed during a security operation targeting his party’s headquarters in February 2024, while several members of his organisation were forced to flee the country.
Former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacké, meanwhile, serves as Chad’s official opposition leader after his National Rally of Chadian Democrats secured 11 seats in parliamentary elections held in late 2024.
However, Padacké does not enjoy broad support across the opposition, particularly because his party participated in elections boycotted by several other political groups.
Disputes over whether to participate in or boycott elections have become one of the opposition’s main fault lines.
The Political Actors’ Consultation Group and the Wakit Tama coalition called for a boycott of the constitutional referendum and presidential election, while Masra and Padacké chose to compete.
Other opposition groups argued that their participation gave legitimacy to an electoral process whose outcome they believed had been determined in advance.
Competition for leadership has further deepened divisions. Attempts to unite behind a single candidate before the 2024 presidential election failed, despite efforts by Dillo to support Masra as the opposition figure considered most capable of challenging Déby.
The opposition has also faced growing pressure from the security services and judiciary.
In May, a court in N’Djamena sentenced several leaders affiliated with the Political Actors’ Consultation Group to eight years in prison on charges including forming a rebel group and possessing weapons. Some were later granted temporary release on health grounds.
Opposition figures said the arrests took place shortly before a planned anti-government demonstration and accused the authorities of attempting to prevent organised political activity.
The violent suppression of protests in October 2022, which left dozens of people dead, also continues to cast a shadow over political life in the country.
Analysts say the combination of repression, leadership rivalries and strategic disagreements has given Déby considerable room to strengthen his authority.
With no unified opposition front capable of mounting a serious challenge, the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement continues to dominate state institutions after more than three decades in power.