Paul Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, has been declared the winner of Cameroon’s presidential election, securing an eighth term that could keep him in office until he is nearly 100. The country’s constitutional council announced that Biya had won 53.66% of the vote, while his former ally turned challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, received 35.19%. Biya, 92, has been in power since 1982, removing presidential term limits in 2008 and winning re-election by comfortable margins.
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Tchiroma rejected the results, describing the vote as a “masquerade” and insisting that he had won unequivocally. The opposition leader also claimed earlier that he had secured 54.8% of votes based on tallies representing 80% of the electorate. He urged protests if the constitutional council published what he described as “falsified and distorted results”, while Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement dismissed these claims and urged patience for the official announcement.
Tensions have been high across the country in recent weeks, with a ban on public gatherings in place since election day and many businesses remaining closed amid fears of unrest. In Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, there have been widespread complaints about internet restrictions, which the state operator Camtel attributed to a “technical incident”. Clashes between security forces and opposition supporters have resulted in deaths, including four in Douala on election day and two reported outside Tchiroma’s home in Garoua, though the latter has not been independently verified.
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Biya, only the second head of state since Cameroon gained independence from France in 1960, has maintained power through repression of political and armed opposition, economic disparity, and separatist conflict. The situation remains volatile, particularly in Tchiroma’s home town of Garoua, where youths gathered outside his residence, as well as in Yaoundé, Bafoussam, and Douala. The election and its aftermath highlight the country’s continuing political tension and the challenges facing opposition movements under Biya’s long rule.
