YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon (BN24) — President Paul Biya, Africa’s oldest head of state, declared Sunday that he will seek an eighth term in Cameroon’s presidential election this October, aiming to extend a tenure that has already spanned nearly 43 years.
Biya, 92, announced his decision in a statement posted on X in both French and English.
“I am a candidate for the 12 October 2025 presidential election,” he wrote. “Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us. Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet. The best is still to come.”
Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, had long been expected to stand again as the flagbearer of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), which he also leads.
Despite his advanced age and growing signs of discontent, Biya retains a firm grip on power. In recent months, several longtime allies have distanced themselves from his administration, and two high-profile figures have defected from his ruling coalition.
Yet the country’s fragmented opposition has struggled to coalesce around a single challenger, leaving Biya well-positioned to prolong one of the world’s longest presidencies.
Cameroon, an oil-producing nation of more than 28 million people, has faced persistent economic hardship and separatist violence in its English-speaking regions. Biya’s government has been accused by critics of clamping down on dissent and manipulating elections to maintain its rule.
As the October vote approaches, opposition leaders have vowed to rally support, but internal rivalries have so far blunted efforts to mount a unified campaign against the aging president.
