In the heart of Central Africa, a familiar name once again echoes through the streets of Yaoundé: Paul Biya. On October 27, 2025, Cameroon’s Constitutional Council officially declared the 92-year-old incumbent the winner of the presidential election held earlier that month. With 53.66% of the vote, Biya secured an eighth consecutive term, extending his rule to 2032—by which time he’ll be 99, cementing his status as the world’s oldest non-royal leader. The announcement, however, has thrown the country into a storm of protests, accusations, and deepening uncertainty.
The election was, by all accounts, the most contentious Cameroon has seen in decades. Biya’s main challenger, 76-year-old Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister who broke ranks to challenge the long-serving president, immediately rejected the official results. Tchiroma claimed victory for himself, asserting, “I won this election,” and alleging he had received over 54% of the vote. “The people will not allow their vote to be stolen,” he insisted, promising, “If we have to fight for this victory over a long time, we will do so.” (Crux)
His words struck a chord with thousands of supporters, who poured into the streets even before the results were made official. According to The Associated Press, protests erupted in cities like Yaoundé, Douala, Garoua, and Maroua, escalating into violent clashes with security forces. The unrest left at least four people dead and more than 100 arrested, as demonstrators decried what they saw as a rigged process. In Garoua, Tchiroma’s hometown, he claimed soldiers opened fire on his supporters camping outside his residence. “Shooting point-blank at your own brothers—I can’t help but wonder if you’re mercenaries,” Tchiroma posted on social media. “Kill me if you want, but I will liberate this country by any means necessary. What blatant impunity.” (AP)
Biya’s supporters, on the other hand, celebrated the announcement with chants of “Paul Biya, our President, Father of the Nation.” Some, 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.” (AP)
The president’s longevity is both his calling card and his Achilles’ heel. Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982, outlasting most of his contemporaries and, indeed, most of his country’s population. With a median age of just 18.9, over 70% of Cameroonians are under 35—meaning the vast majority have never known another leader. Critics point to his advanced age and frequent, extended trips abroad—often to Switzerland, where investigations estimate his hotel bills have reached a staggering $65 million—as evidence of a president increasingly detached from the realities of his country. As BBC News notes, Biya’s “inscrutable style of national leadership” and habit of leaving key decisions to ministers or the influential secretary general have left Cameroonians uncertain about who is truly running the show.
Yet, for all the trappings of democracy—over 200 political parties, hundreds of media outlets, and the appearance of multi-party elections—Biya’s grip remains ironclad. The opposition accuses him of manipulating the electoral system through state machinery, suppressing dissent, and orchestrating the disqualification of rivals. The recent arrests of opposition supporters and the use of force against protesters underscore a pattern of political repression that has persisted for years. “This election is more of a protest vote,” said Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla, a prominent human rights lawyer. “People just wanted change, not just because of Biya’s age, but also because nothing is working in the country.” (AP)
Jesuit Father Lado Ludovic, speaking out in the days following the election, issued a rallying cry for nonviolent resistance. “The situation is critical. This is the moment. It’s now or never. The time has come for mobilization and nonviolent resistance,” he declared online. He called for religious leaders to “leave the sacristy and pulpits and follow the example of Martin Luther King Jr.,” urging Cameroonians to both protest in the streets and “blanket the online space” with messages supporting Tchiroma. (Crux)
The grievances fueling the unrest run deep. Cameroon’s economy, though buoyed by oil production, has failed to deliver for its youthful population. While the official unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, most young people work in the informal sector, and opportunities for advancement are scarce. “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 28-year-old hotel worker in Maroua. (AP)
Biya’s government, for its part, points to the presence of over 5,000 national and international observers during the election. Local civil society groups, however, reported irregularities such as deceased voters on electoral lists, unequal distribution of ballot papers, and attempts at ballot box-stuffing. The African Union mission offered a more measured assessment, stating the vote was “conducted largely in accordance with regional, continental and international standards.” (AP)
Behind the political drama, Cameroon faces mounting security and social challenges. The country is still grappling with the fallout from Boko Haram attacks in the north and a violent secessionist insurgency in the English-speaking North West and South West regions—a conflict that has killed nearly 7,000 people and displaced over a million. Biya’s approach to these crises, often criticized as slow and distant, has failed to resolve the underlying tensions. “Cameroon could potentially slide into anarchy,” warned Emile Sunjo, a senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Buea. (AP)
As Biya prepares for his inauguration on November 6, 2025, the question of succession looms large. The constitution stipulates that, in the event of the president’s death, the president of the senate would serve as interim leader, with new elections to follow within 120 days. Yet Marcel Niat Njifenji, the 91-year-old senate president, is himself in poor health, adding to the uncertainty. With no clear successor and the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) rife with internal rivalries, the prospect of a smooth transition appears remote.
For many Cameroonians, the 2025 election has become a watershed moment—a test of patience, hope, and the limits of endurance under a system that offers the trappings of democracy but little real change. “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,” said Sunjo. (AP) Whether the current wave of protests will fade or ignite a broader movement remains to be seen, but the tension in Cameroon is palpable—and the world is watching.
In a nation where the past and present collide so sharply, the future of Cameroon hangs in the balance, shaped by the will of its people and the resolve of a president who, for now, shows no sign of stepping aside.
