Cameroon‘s 92-Year-Old President Seeks Re-Election Amidst Ongoing Crisis and Calls to Step Aside
Yaoundé, Cameroon – Cameroonians are heading to the polls today as 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president, seeks to extend his four-decade rule despite widespread discontent and a persistent internal conflict. The election takes place against a backdrop of escalating calls for biya to step down, including unprecedented public criticism from within his own family and former allies.
Biya, who has been in power as 1982, held his first and only campaign rally on Tuesday in Maroua, promising increased security, job creation, and infrastructure improvements if re-elected. ”I am well aware of the problems that concern you, I know the unfulfilled expectations that make you doubt the future,” Biya told supporters.”Based on my own experience,I can assure you that these problems are not insurmountable.”
However, significant portions of the population, particularly in the country’s english-speaking regions, are skeptical. A crisis that began in 2017 has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of over 700,000 people in the North-West and South-West regions. Many residents feel marginalized and are considering boycotting the vote.
Kah Wallah, leader of the Cameroon People’s party and founder of the Stand Up For Cameroon movement, stated the movement has refrained from supporting elections since 2018 due to the ongoing security concerns in the anglophone regions, commonly referred to as #NOSO. She described it as “unconscionable” for the Biya regime to hold elections without ensuring citizen safety.
The government has faced criticism for its response to the crisis. This election cycle has also seen unusual public appeals for Biya’s retirement. Catholic Archbishop Samuel Kleda publicly questioned Biya’s ability to continue in office on French radio last Christmas, calling it “not realistic.” Former ministers Tchiroma and maigari also openly challenged Biya’s fitness to lead.
Perhaps most strikingly, Biya’s own daughter, Brenda Biya, 27, posted a TikTok video last month stating her father “has made too many people suffer” and urging Cameroonians not to vote for him, though she later retracted the statement.
Theophile, a 24-year-old artist in Douala, expressed disillusionment with the electoral process, calling it a “scam.” He had hoped to vote for Maurice Kamto, who finished second to Biya in the 2018 election, but believes systemic change is necessary.
