Cameroon Presidential Election Held as Paul Biya Seeks Eighth Term

Cameroonians are voting today in a presidential election with 92-year-old Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, widely expected to win an eighth term, a result that would extend his nearly 43-year rule.

Eleven candidates are challenging Biya, but the opposition is fractured. Maurice Kamto, a leading contender in the 2018 election, was barred from running by the courts. Recent defections from Biya’s camp, including former ministers Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari, failed to coalesce into a significant challenge. “Our candidate is in great shape … and he is capable of continuing what he has started,” said Grégoire Owona, the ruling party’s secretary general, in late September, according to reports. The election takes place amid a cost of living crisis and ongoing social unrest, raising questions about the country’s political future.

The vote is shadowed by significant security concerns, particularly in the Far North region, where jihadist groups operate, and the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, where a separatist conflict has caused thousands of deaths and displaced over 700,000 people. This conflict has led some, like Kah Wallah of the Cameroon People’s party, to call for a boycott, stating it is “unconscionable” to hold elections without ensuring citizen security in the affected regions. Youth unemployment and economic hardship are also major concerns for voters; approximately one-third of Cameroon’s population lives on less than $2 a day, according to World Bank data.

Biya held his only campaign rally yesterday in Maroua, promising to improve security, address youth unemployment, and invest in infrastructure if reelected. He acknowledged the challenges facing Cameroonians, stating, “I am well aware of the problems that concern you, I know the unfulfilled expectations that make you doubt the future… Based on my own experience, I can assure you that these problems are not insurmountable.” Recent appeals for Biya to step aside, including from his own daughter Brenda Biya via a now-recanted TikTok post, highlight growing discontent. You can find more information about Cameroon’s political system here.

Election officials are expected to begin announcing preliminary results in the coming days, though a full tally and potential challenges could take weeks.