On Sunday, October 12, 2025, Cameroonians headed to the polls for a presidential election that has drawn both intense scrutiny and weary resignation. At the center of the contest is Paul Biya, the 92-year-old incumbent, who has ruled the Central African nation since 1982. As the world’s oldest president, Biya is seeking to extend his already record-breaking tenure for another seven-year term, an outcome many observers believe is all but certain.
The stakes are high in Cameroon, a country of 30 million people, just over eight million of whom are registered to vote. The challenges facing the nation are daunting: economic stagnation, youth unemployment, widespread poverty, and ongoing violent conflicts in both the north and the English-speaking regions. Yet, for many, the most pressing question is whether this election will bring any real change—or simply reinforce the status quo.
Biya’s main opponents in this election include a slate of ten men and one woman, most notably Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 76, a former government spokesperson and minister of employment who resigned from Biya’s cabinet in June to launch his campaign, and Bello Bouba Maigari, 77, the former tourism minister who left government service over the summer to join the race. Both Bakary and Maigari hail from the vote-rich north, a region that has traditionally supported Biya but is now showing signs of restlessness and a desire for change, according to reporting by Australian Associated Press and Reuters.
Despite a more energized opposition than in previous years, Biya remains widely seen as the favorite. His campaign, run under the slogan “Greatness and Hope,” has been characteristically low-key: he held just one rally in Maroua, the northern city, and relied heavily on tightly controlled state media and social media posts. The president’s supporters, like Chuo Walters, a law professor at the University of Bertoua, insist that Biya’s age is not a handicap. “He can think a thousand times faster than a 25- or 30-year-old,” Walters told The New York Times.
Yet, the mood on the ground tells a different story. In Yaoundé’s Briqueterie neighborhood, driver Hassane Djbril voiced a sentiment shared by many: “For 43 years, Cameroonians have been suffering. There are no jobs. We want change because the current government is dictatorial.” Biya’s government has consistently rejected such criticism, maintaining that Cameroon is a democratic country with regular, free elections.
The structure of Cameroon’s electoral system, however, raises significant questions about the fairness of the process. The country uses a single-round system, where the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner. Term limits were abolished in 2008, and the opposition, civil society, and press freedoms are severely restricted. According to Reuters and the Australian Associated Press, only slightly more than half of eligible voters are registered, and past elections have been marred by accusations of rigging and intimidation. In 2018, Biya officially received 71% of the vote, with the runner-up garnering just 14%.
This year’s contest has been further complicated by the exclusion of Maurice Kamto, Biya’s main rival in recent years. Kamto was barred from the ballot after the electoral commission delayed parliamentary elections, leaving his party without seats and making him ineligible to run for president. Kamto attempted to run under a different party but was again rejected by the commission—a move viewed by many analysts as a deliberate attempt to sideline a potent challenger. “The institutions are designed to ensure he wins,” said Hubert Kinkoh, a political and security analyst, to The New York Times.
Opponents have long accused Biya of using state power to intimidate rivals and control the courts and electoral commission. The result, they argue, is a political system that perpetuates his rule while stifling meaningful dissent. “Biya has remained in power for nearly 43 years by deftly dividing his adversaries, and, although we think he isn’t very aware of what is going on, it seems that the machine he built will divide to rule one last time,” observed Francois Conradie, lead political economist at Oxford Economics, as quoted by Reuters.
Beyond the machinations of the political elite, the country is grappling with deep-rooted crises. Cameroon is still reeling from a conflict between its French-speaking majority and English-speaking regions, a struggle that has killed at least 6,500 people and displaced around 600,000 since 2017, according to the Australian Associated Press. The north of the country, meanwhile, faces persistent attacks from Boko Haram, the Nigerian-based Islamist group, adding another layer of insecurity to daily life.
The economic picture is equally grim. Some 40% of Cameroonians live in poverty, and the World Bank warns that one in four could slip into extreme poverty within the next 15 months. The cost of living has soared, with fuel and basic goods becoming increasingly unaffordable for many. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, and infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of debt and corruption.
Despite these challenges, there are signs of growing political engagement, especially among the country’s young people. Inspired by Gen Z-led protest movements in countries like Kenya, a new generation of Cameroonians is demanding to be heard. “Young people here see Gen Z revolutions in countries like Kenya,” said youth activist Ngala Desmond Ngala. “They’re looking at what’s happening in these countries and looking at theirs and are saying, ‘Why can’t we even lead something like that in Cameroon?’”
This generational divide was laid bare last month when Brenda Biya, the president’s 27-year-old daughter, took to social media to urge young people not to vote for her father, accusing him of causing “too many people to suffer.” She later apologized, but the episode highlighted the growing disconnect between the country’s aging leadership and its youthful population. “The average Cameroonian sits between the ages of around 17 to almost 40,” Ngala said. “The president has been in power for 40-plus years. So there’s a generational disconnect between the president and the young people.”
For some, the 2025 election represents a rare opportunity for change. “You could feel that, for the first time, change of government is possible through the ballots,” said Kinkoh, “because there is a whole new generation of voters who are more critical and are not swayed by party affiliations.” Still, most analysts remain skeptical that the opposition can overcome Biya’s formidable political machinery and the fragmented nature of their own ranks. “A surprise is still possible, but a divided opposition and the backing of a formidable electoral machine will, we predict, give the 92-year-old his eighth term,” Conradie told Reuters.
Voting began at 7:00 a.m. GMT and ended at 5:00 p.m., with results expected within 15 days. As Cameroonians await the outcome, the country stands at a crossroads—torn between the enduring grip of an aging ruler and the restless energy of a new generation eager for change. The path forward, as always in Cameroon, remains uncertain.