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President Biya is the world’s oldest serving caput of authorities and could enactment successful bureau until helium is astir 100 if helium wins the October election.
Published On 14 Jul 2025
Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, who is 92 years old, has announced plans to tally for an eighth word successful this year’s statesmanlike predetermination connected October 12.
Biya, who is the world’s oldest serving caput of state, made the announcement successful posts connected X connected Sunday successful some French and English.
“I americium a campaigner successful the statesmanlike election,” helium wrote. “Rest assured that my determination to service you matches the urgency of the challenges we face.”
Biya, who is seeking a caller word that could support him successful bureau until helium is astir 100, came to powerfulness much than 4 decades agone successful 1982, erstwhile his predecessor, Ahmadou Ahidjo, resigned.
His wellness is the taxable of predominant speculation, astir precocious past twelvemonth erstwhile helium disappeared from nationalist presumption for 42 days. His re-election bid had been wide anticipated but not formally confirmed until Sunday’s societal media post.
Biya had been posting regularly connected his verified X grip successful the buildup to the announcement.
In 2018, successful a first, helium besides utilized societal media to denote his candidacy for that year’s statesmanlike contest, marking a uncommon nonstop engagement with the nationalist connected integer platforms.
Members of the governing Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) and different supporters person since past twelvemonth publically called for Biya to question different term.
But absorption parties and immoderate civilian nine groups reason his agelong regularisation has stifled economical and antiauthoritarian development. Two erstwhile allies person discontinue the governing conjugation and announced plans to separately tally successful the election.
“President Biya’s announcement to tally again is simply a wide motion of Cameroon’s stalled governmental transition. After implicit 40 years successful power, what the state needs is renewal – not repetition. Cameroonians merit antiauthoritarian alteration and accountable leadership,” Nkongho Felix Agbor, a quality rights advocator and lawyer, told The Associated Press quality agency.
Sunday’s announcement is definite to revive statement implicit Biya’s fittingness for office. He seldom makes nationalist appearances, often delegating responsibilities to the almighty main of unit of the president’s office.
Last October, helium returned to Cameroon aft a 42-day absence, which had sparked speculation helium was unwell. The authorities claimed helium was good but banned immoderate treatment of his health, saying it was a substance of nationalist security.
Biya scrapped word limits successful 2008, clearing the mode for him to tally indefinitely. He won the 2018 predetermination with 71.28 percent of the vote, though absorption parties alleged wide irregularities.
The cocoa- and oil-producing Central African nation, which has had conscionable 2 presidents since independency from France and the United Kingdom successful the aboriginal 1960s, is apt to look a messy succession situation if Biya were to go excessively sick to stay successful bureau oregon die.
Besides Biya, respective absorption figures person besides declared their volition to run, including 2018 runner-up Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front, lawyer Akere Muna and Cabral Libii of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation.
All person criticised Biya’s agelong play arsenic caput of authorities and called for reforms to guarantee a just ballot successful 2025.
Under Biya, Cameroon has faced economical challenges and insecurity connected respective fronts, including a drawn-out separatist struggle successful its English-speaking regions and ongoing incursions from the Boko Haram equipped radical successful the north.
English (US) ·