October 12, 2025 | 11:30 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, 92, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is once again running for re-election. Biya has ruled the Central African nation for 43 years, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Sunday’s single-round general election is widely expected to secure him an eighth term in office. Biya faces 11 challengers, including former government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 79, who resigned from the government in June to join the opposition.
Bakary, a close ally of Biya for two decades, is seen as the main challenger after another key opponent, Maurice Kamto, was barred from running. However, analysts predict Biya’s re-election, citing his strong grip on state institutions and a fragmented opposition.
Cameroon, home to roughly 30 million people, has experienced modest economic growth since 2023, but ordinary citizens continue to struggle.
Unemployment, falling commodity prices, rising poverty, and a cost-of-living crisis weigh heavily on households, while the country faces a pressing need for new infrastructure.
More than eight million voters are registered, including over 34,000 Cameroonians living abroad. The Constitutional Council has until October 26 to announce the final results.
Francois Conradie, head of political economy at Oxford Economics, noted that while surprises remain possible, Biya’s entrenched electoral machinery and the opposition’s divisions favor the incumbent. “Biya has been in power for almost 43 years, skillfully dividing his opponents,” Conradie said. “Even if he is not fully aware of day-to-day developments, the system he has built is likely to maintain his dominance.”
Biya has won every election over the past 20 years with more than 70 percent of the vote. He runs a low-key campaign, making his first public appearance on a Tuesday for the first time since May.
His only campaign stop was in Maroua, the regional capital of the strategic Far North, where he drew just a few hundred attendees, far fewer than Bakary’s recent rally in the same city.
Biya’s health is frequently a topic of speculation. He spends much of his time in Europe, delegating daily governance to party officials and family members.
Cameroon has the most diverse economy in Central Africa and is a significant producer of oil and cocoa. Yet about four in ten Cameroonians live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
Many citizens struggle with high living costs, unemployment, and limited access to clean water, healthcare, and quality education.
As Cameroonians head to the polls, the election underscores both Biya’s enduring political dominance and the country’s persistent social and economic challenges.
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