With Cameroon’s presidential election slated for October, the race officially entered a new phase this week as political parties began filing their candidacies. Although the submission window opened on Monday, July 14, 2025, momentum picked up significantly by Thursday, July 17, when incumbent President Paul Biya’s candidacy was submitted by his representative, Jean Nkuete.
“We have just submitted the file of the National President of the CPDM, for the post of President of the Republic, being aware that the Cameroonian people are mature enough to know the difference between what is done, what is being done,” Nkuete told reporters.
Shortly after, Cabral Libii of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN) followed suit with his own announcement. However, significant attention shifted to the restive North-West region, where Social Democratic Front (SDF) leader Joshua Osih filed his candidacy in Bamenda.
The submission was symbolically meaningful, as Bamenda remains at the center of the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Osih emphasized the deep connection between his party and the region.
“It’s very important to know that we have a political identity,” Osih told reporters after submitting his candidacy. “And this political identity has its roots in this town. And that’s why we have our national headquarters in this city. And so it was impossible to believe that we were going to file elsewhere.”
Surge in Filings
In the past 24 hours, a flurry of activity was recorded in Yaoundé, as a number of other candidates submitted their nominations. Among them was Bello Bouba Maigari, a sitting minister in Biya’s administration, who filed on behalf of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP). Also joining the race were Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister; Tomaïno Ndam Njoya of the Union Démocratique du Cameroun (UDC); and Léon Théiller Onana, a CPDM member challenging Biya from within the ruling party.
Patricia Hermine Tomaïno Ndam Ndoya, the presidential candidate of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), used the moment to advocate for increased female representation in politics.
“It’s high time Cameroonians understood that women are the voice of peace, of the peace we need and of sincerity. We’re going to work with all the categories, the intellectuals,” she said.
Spotlight on Kamto
Friday’s most anticipated submission came from Maurice Kamto, the leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) and a prominent critic of President Biya’s regime. His filing drew significant public attention, particularly due to his alliance with Anicet Ekane of the Movement for African New Independence and Democracy (Manidem).
While Kamto declined to speak with the press after filing, he and Ekane are scheduled to host a press conference on Saturday at their party headquarters. They are expected to unveil their campaign strategy and outline their vision for the country.
With major contenders now stepping forward, Cameroon’s political landscape is rapidly shifting as the nation approaches one of its most closely watched presidential elections in recent history.
