Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, 92, has announced that he will fight for re-election in October, intending to extend his 43-year tenure. “Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face,” he wrote in a message to X. He went on to say that his decision to run for an eighth term was the result of “numerous and insistent” demands from people across Cameroon and in the diaspora. Biya’s administration has been criticised for corruption, embezzlement, poor governance, and failure to address security issues. There have also been doubts about his health and ability to lead.
His disappearance from the public for more than six weeks last year sparked concerns about his health and erroneous claims that he had died. His candidature was expected, but not officially confirmed, until Sunday’s social media post. Biya has never lost an election since assuming power in 1982, and if he wins another seven-year term, he could remain president until he is nearly 100. There have been growing calls from both within and outside Cameroon for him to step down and make way for new leadership in the central African nation. His candidacy follows a recent political divorce from key allies from the northern regions, who had been crucial in helping secure votes in previous elections from that part of the country.
Two of these men, prominent minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, recently left the ruling coalition and announced separate plans to run in the election. Last month, Tchiroma stated that the Biya administration he worked for had “broken” public trust and that he was going to a rival party. Several opposition leaders, including 2018 runner-up Maurice Kamto, Joshua Osih, Akere Muna, and Cabral Libii, have confirmed their candidatures. However, since last year, members of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement and other supporters have publicly urged Biya to run for another term. He was already the de facto contender for party leader.
In 2008, Biya removed term limits, allowing him to run for president indefinitely. He won the 2018 elections with over 71% of the vote, despite allegations of major irregularities.
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