Cameroon’s 92-year-old president, Paul Biya, has secured an eighth term in office, extending his tenure as the world’s oldest and one of the longest-serving heads of state. The official announcement, made by the Constitutional Council on Monday, October 27, 2025, capped a fiercely disputed election held on October 12 that has left the nation deeply divided and marred by deadly unrest.
Biya’s re-election—confirmed with 53.7% of the vote, compared to 35.2% for his main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary—has reignited tensions between Cameroon’s youthful population and its aging political elite. According to the Associated Press, over 70% of the country’s nearly 30 million people are under 35, while Biya has ruled since 1982, longer than most Cameroonians have been alive.
The days leading up to and following the announcement were turbulent. Protests erupted in major cities including Douala, Garoua, and Maroua, as opposition supporters took to the streets demanding what they called “credible results.” Demonstrators, many of them young, defied bans on public gatherings, set police cars ablaze, barricaded roads, and clashed with security forces. Police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and, in some instances, live ammunition. At least four protesters were shot dead in Douala on Sunday, October 26, as reported by both the AP and BBC, with dozens more injured or arrested. The regional governor, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, confirmed that police stations had come under attack and that security forces had defended themselves.
In the aftermath, the streets of Yaoundé, the capital, fell eerily silent. Shops and schools closed, and most civil servants stayed home, reflecting a mood of anxiety and resignation. "We are at the beginning of another nightmare," one resident, Amungwa Nicodemus, told BBC News. "The economy is declining, corruption is endemic, a lot of things are going wrong." Another, Abolo Denis, urged calm: "Peace is of the utmost importance."
The opposition, led by Tchiroma Bakary—a former Biya ally who broke ranks to campaign on a platform of change—has rejected the results. Before the official announcement, Tchiroma declared himself the winner, claiming 55% of the vote and calling on Biya to "accept the truth of the ballot box" or risk plunging the country into turmoil. His supporters, part of a new coalition called the Union for Change, argued that the election was manipulated through the disqualification of strong rivals, including Maurice Kamto, and the use of “state machinery” to sway the outcome. According to Al Jazeera, Tchiroma’s campaign accused authorities of colluding to rig the election and denounced the crackdown on opposition leaders, with dozens arrested in the days surrounding the vote.
In a social media post, Tchiroma condemned the violence: "Shooting point-blank at your own brothers—I can’t help but wonder if you’re mercenaries. Kill me if you want, but I will liberate this country by any means necessary. What blatant impunity." He later paid tribute "to those who fell to the bullets of a regime that has become criminal during a peaceful march" and called for an end to "these killings and arbitrary arrests."
Biya, for his part, struck a conciliatory tone in his victory statement: "My first thoughts are with all those who have unnecessarily lost their lives, as well with their families, as a result of the post-election violence." He thanked voters for "once again" trusting him, expressing hope that Cameroonians would "resolutely undertake to build a peaceful, united and prosperous Cameroon." Supporters of Biya, like Flicia Feh, defended his record: "Our president campaigned on hope. He started so many projects, like the Yaoundé-Douala motorway, and it’s just normal that he is given more time to complete what he started." The governing party hailed the victory "under the sign of greatness and hope."
Yet, the election’s legitimacy remains hotly contested. The government claimed over 5,000 national and international observers were accredited, and the African Union mission stated the vote was "conducted largely in accordance with regional, continental and international standards." However, a coalition of local civil society groups documented irregularities, including deceased voters on electoral lists, unequal distribution of ballots, and attempts at ballot box-stuffing. The Constitutional Council rejected at least 10 petitions alleging malpractice.
Underlying the immediate crisis is a broader sense of frustration among Cameroon’s youth. Unemployment for the under-35s stands at 40%, according to BBC News, and more than half of young workers are relegated to the informal sector. "Many young people across the country and in the diaspora had hoped for change, but their hopes have been dashed. It feels like a missed opportunity," Emile Sunjo, a senior lecturer at the University of Buea, told the AP. "Cameroon could potentially slide into anarchy."
Cameroon’s political woes are compounded by ongoing security challenges. Since 2015, Boko Haram attacks have intensified in the Far North, while a violent separatist insurgency in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions has killed nearly 7,000 people and displaced more than a million. The roots of the Anglophone crisis stretch back decades, with grievances over language, education, and representation erupting into mass protests in 2016 and escalating into armed conflict. During this election, turnout in these regions was notably low, and armed separatists reportedly barred participation in government-organized activities. Despite this, official results claimed Biya received overwhelming majorities—68.7% and 86.31%—in these areas.
Biya’s advanced age and frequent absences from the country—he has reportedly spent at least four and a half years in Switzerland for private or medical reasons—have fueled speculation about his capacity to govern. Critics argue that power is increasingly wielded by a small circle of party officials and family members. "Biya now has a notably shaky mandate given many of his own citizens don't believe he won the election," Murithi Mutiga, Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group, told BBC News. "We call on Biya to urgently initiate a national mediation to prevent further escalation."
The specter of further unrest looms. Observers warn that protests could spread, especially as opposition leaders continue to challenge the results and call for mass mobilization. "I am ready to stake my life to defend my vote. I voted for Tchiroma because I want change," Oumarou Bouba, a 27-year-old trader in Maroua, told the AP. But for others, there is only resignation: "Nothing will change. I expected that Issa Tchiroma would bring change, which is why I voted for him. There’s rampant corruption under Biya’s regime. We are tired of that," said Sani Aladji, a hotel worker.
As Cameroon stands at this crossroads, the world is watching. The outcome of this election, and the government’s response to dissent, will likely shape the nation’s trajectory for years to come. Whether Biya’s latest victory brings stability or further turmoil remains an open—and urgent—question.
