Cameroon’s long-serving leader, President Paul Biya, has won re-election for an unprecedented eighth term, the country’s Constitutional Council announced Monday, extending his decades-long rule until at least 2032.
Biya, 92, the world’s oldest serving head of state, captured 53.66% of the national vote, according to official results. His closest challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, received 35.19%. The outcome ensures Biya—who first came to power in 1982—will mark 50 years in office if he serves out his new seven-year term.
Despite growing public pressure to step down, Biya appeared at only one campaign rally during the election period, telling supporters that “the best is still to come.” Critics accused him of being increasingly absent from national affairs, while his supporters praised his leadership as a symbol of continuity in a country beset by security and economic challenges.
The vote, held amid sporadic violence and widespread voter apathy, saw significant regional variations and high abstention rates, particularly in the restive Anglophone regions. In the South region—Biya’s home base—he won by a commanding 90.86%, while in the South-West region, where around 53% of voters abstained, he still secured 68.7%.
Bakary performed strongly in several northern and coastal regions, winning 56% in Adamawa, 43.51% in the North, and 64.5% in the Littoral region, which includes the economic capital, Douala. He also drew substantial support from Cameroonians living abroad, capturing 68.21% of the diaspora vote in Asia and the Middle East and 54.99% among voters across Africa.
European-based voters, however, heavily favored Bakary, granting him 62.79% compared to Biya’s 22.63%.
Election observers reported low voter turnout and logistical challenges in several areas, with more than half of registered voters abstaining in some districts. Opposition parties and civil society groups have accused the ruling party of manipulating the vote count, though the government has denied any wrongdoing.
Biya’s re-election cements his position as one of the world’s longest-ruling leaders. His nearly 43-year tenure has been marked by economic stagnation, mounting separatist violence in the English-speaking regions, and periodic crackdowns on dissent.
The Constitutional Council in Yaoundé announced the final results following days of regional tallies. Under Cameroon’s electoral law, the winner is determined by the highest share of votes across the entire electorate.
If Biya completes this new term, he will be nearing 100 years old by 2032. Despite his advanced age and recurring questions about his health, the president has shown no sign of grooming a successor, leaving uncertainty over the country’s political future once his rule eventually ends.
Reuters
