Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, officially launched his campaign for an eighth term in office in July, declaring that he was responding to the “numerous and insistent” calls from citizens urging him to stay in power. At 92 years old, Biya is the world’s oldest head of state, and his announcement has sparked both loyalty and dissent across the Central African nation as it prepares for elections on October 12.
Despite more than four decades at the helm, this election cycle has seen unusually bold appeals for the veteran leader to step aside. Prominent voices from within the church, the government, and even Biya’s own family have questioned his ability to continue leading a country facing mounting economic hardship, deep political divisions, and persistent security crises.
The first notable challenge came from Archbishop Samuel Kleda, a senior figure in the Catholic Church, who declared in a French radio interview last December that it was “not realistic” for Biya to keep ruling at his advanced age. His comments were widely interpreted as a reflection of growing unease within influential religious circles about the president’s prolonged tenure.
In the months that followed, two cabinet ministers from the politically crucial northern region defected from Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), openly criticizing his leadership and questioning his health. The defections were a significant political blow, as the north has long served as a key electoral base for Biya’s government.
However, the most striking rebuke came from within the president’s own family. Brenda Biya, the 27-year-old daughter of the president, made headlines when she posted a video on TikTok urging Cameroonians to vote her father out, saying he had “made too many people suffer.” Though she later deleted the video and retracted her statement, the footage continues to circulate widely online, becoming a rallying point for opposition supporters.
Despite these rare public criticisms and widespread social challenges, analysts say Biya remains a formidable contender. His enduring grip on power, they argue, is sustained by a deeply entrenched patronage network, a fragmented opposition, loyal security forces, and electoral institutions widely viewed as compromised.
“The president has managed to enforce loyalty to him and the system,” said Arrey Ntui, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Very few people in the ruling elite are willing to put their heads above the parapet to challenge him. When it comes to the president, there’s no more independent thinking — it’s just one line: the president is there, he’s able to run again, and that’s it.”
Health and Leadership Concerns
Paul Biya first came to power in 1982, succeeding his mentor, Ahmadou Ahidjo, after serving as prime minister for several years. What began as a smooth transition quickly turned into a long and authoritarian rule. Biya consolidated power by sidelining Ahidjo, who later fled into exile, and survived a failed coup attempt in 1984.
He faced his most serious political challenge during Cameroon’s first multi-party election in 1992, when he narrowly won with 40% of the vote — just three points ahead of the opposition. Since then, he has maintained a tight hold on power through constitutional changes and tightly controlled elections.
In 2008, Biya removed the two-term presidential limit from the constitution, effectively allowing him to rule indefinitely. Subsequent elections in 2011 and 2018 saw him claim landslide victories, despite widespread allegations of ballot stuffing, intimidation, and voter manipulation.
In recent years, however, growing concerns about Biya’s health have dominated political discourse. His prolonged absences from public life have fueled speculation about his ability to govern. In one instance last year, Biya disappeared from public view for 42 days, prompting rumors that he was gravely ill or incapacitated. The government dismissed the speculation as “pure fantasy,” yet simultaneously banned public discussion of the president’s health, deepening suspicions.
Meanwhile, ordinary Cameroonians continue to face worsening living conditions. The country’s infrastructure, including roads, electricity, and waste management systems, remains in disrepair. Many citizens complain of high unemployment, rising costs of living, and corruption that has hollowed out public institutions.
Erosion of Electoral Credibility
While Biya’s personal health remains a key point of concern, his government’s tight control over electoral processes has also drawn intense criticism.
In July, the courts disqualified the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, Biya’s main challenger in the 2018 presidential election, ruling that the party Kamto had registered under was already supporting another candidate. Kamto, a respected lawyer and leader of the Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC), had come second in 2018 and was seen as the most viable opposition figure.
Human Rights Watch condemned the court’s decision, saying it “raises serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.” Many observers fear that Kamto’s exclusion all but guarantees another Biya victory.
Kamto himself denounced the move as “a deliberate act to eliminate genuine competition” and reminded the public of the 2018 election, which he described as “stolen.” Following protests that year, he was arrested in January 2019 and charged with insurrection, a charge that carried the death penalty under Cameroonian law. He was released later that year after international pressure, but his political movement remains under close surveillance.
For decades, arrests, intimidation, and legal threats have kept Cameroon’s opposition divided and fearful. Authorities insist they are merely enforcing the law, but human rights advocates say the pattern reveals a systematic effort to silence dissent.
“Fear has become part of everyday life in Cameroon,” said Raoul Sumo Tayo, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. “Even ordinary citizens are cautious about what they say. When you take a taxi, you don’t know who’s listening — people are afraid to speak. Many choose silence just to protect their families, and that silence empowers the regime.”
A Nation at a Crossroads
As Cameroonians prepare to head to the polls, Biya’s legacy looms large over the political landscape. Supporters view him as a stabilizing figure who has kept the country united amid regional and ethnic divisions. Critics, however, see his rule as the embodiment of stagnation, a system that has prioritized loyalty over progress and fear over freedom.
While opposition voices are fragmented and repressed, the broader question of leadership transition is increasingly pressing. Biya’s advanced age, health uncertainties, and growing internal dissent suggest that Cameroon could soon be entering a period of significant political change, whether by electoral means or succession planning within his ruling elite.
For now, the 92-year-old president appears determined to hold onto power, continuing a tenure that has defined Cameroon’s modern history, and perhaps, its future.
