Reelection

The world’s oldest leader won another seven-year term, putting him on pace for 50 years in office.

Context

Aged 92, Paul Biya has governed the Central African nation of Cameroon since 1982, making him the world's oldest serving head of state. The country currently has a median age of 18.9 years, meaning most Cameroonians were born well after Biya took power. He eliminated presidential term limits in 2008 and has maintained tight control over the government throughout his tenure.

Biya Declared Winner

The Constitutional Council announced on Monday that Biya received 53.7% of the vote in the October 12 election. His challenger – Issa Tchiroma Bakary – served under Biya as Transportation Minister from 1992 to 1996 and Communication Minister from 2009 to 2019. According to official results, Tchiroma received 35.2% of the votes, marking the closest election result for Biya since 1992.

If he completes this eighth term, Biya will be nearly 100 years old when it ends. The Constitutional Council rejected petitions filed last week that alleged voter intimidation, ballot-stuffing, tampering, and other forms of electoral malpractice.

Violence and Unrest

At least four protesters were killed by security forces in Douala, the country's largest city, on Sunday ahead of the announcement after partial results pointed to Biya’s victory.

Security forces were deployed across major cities as protesters rejected the results. Authorities arrested more than 100 people during demonstrations, and over 20 opposition leaders were detained in recent days.

Protesters defied a national ban on demonstrations to express their discontent. 

Even Biya’s daughter, 27-year-old Brenda Biya, urged Cameroonians not to vote for her father, saying, “He has made too many people suffer,” in a now-deleted TikTok video. 

Opposition Claims Victory

Tchiroma, 79, had declared himself the winner days after the election, citing unofficial tallies from his party that showed a landslide victory.

The former government spokesperson and longtime Biya ally broke with the president in June, saying he was responding to demands for change from the country's young population. He alleged on Sunday that authorities had plotted to arrest him. "The only crime I committed was winning the presidential election," he said.