Cameroon’s Paul Biya, 92, Confirms Bid for Eighth Term Despite Growing Calls to Step Down
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest sitting head of state at 92, has confirmed that he will run for an unprecedented eighth term in the country’s upcoming presidential elections scheduled for October 2025.
Biya, who has ruled the Central African nation for over 43 years, made the announcement via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that he had heeded “numerous and insistent calls” from Cameroonians at home and in the diaspora.
“Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face,” the president declared.
While the announcement comes as little surprise to many observers, it has ignited renewed criticism and concern—both at home and abroad—over Biya’s age, health, and grip on power in a country grappling with insecurity, corruption, and political unrest.
Biya first came to power in 1982 and has since overseen multiple constitutional changes, including the scrapping of term limits in 2008, effectively allowing him to remain president indefinitely. If re-elected, Biya would stay in office until nearly 100 years old.
His government has been accused of widespread corruption, poor governance, and failure to tackle ongoing separatist conflicts in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions. His prolonged absences from the public eye—including a six-week disappearance last year that sparked rumors of his death—have further raised concerns about his capacity to govern.
Despite the controversies, Biya maintains firm control over the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), and has never lost an election—though every vote since 1992 has been marred by allegations of electoral fraud.
Biya’s candidacy is emerging in a shifting political landscape. In recent months, key political allies from Cameroon’s influential northern regions have publicly broken away from his ruling coalition. Notably, former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari and ex-minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary have both announced their own presidential bids.
Tchiroma, once a vocal supporter of Biya, said last month that the administration had “broken public trust,” adding that it was time for change.
Several opposition leaders, including Maurice Kamto—who finished second in the controversial 2018 elections—Cabral Libii, Joshua Osih, and Akere Muna, have also thrown their hats into the ring, hoping to capitalize on growing fatigue with Biya’s rule.
Reactions to Biya’s announcement have been sharply divided. Supporters within the CPDM have rallied behind their long-serving leader, citing his experience and stability. Since 2024, loyalists have campaigned under the slogan “Biya or Nothing,” urging him to continue.
Critics, however, see his candidacy as a setback for democratic progress. Prominent human rights lawyer Felix Agbor Nkongho said the country deserves “leadership that represents the hopes of the people, not one that clings to power.”
Cameroonian newspaper Le Messager captured the despair felt by many citizens with a blunt front-page headline: “We are finished.”
With opposition forces growing in number and Biya’s support base showing signs of fragmentation, the October 2025 elections are shaping up to be one of the most closely watched in the country’s history.
Still, whether these emerging challenges will translate into real political change remains uncertain in a system long criticized for suppressing dissent and manipulating electoral outcomes.
For many Cameroonians, the months ahead will test not just the will of the people—but the resilience of the country’s democratic institutions.
