Voters in Cameroon went to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to hand President Paul Biya yet another term, extending his 42-year grip on power.
The 92-year-old, Africa’s longest-serving leader, is poised to remain in office until the age of 99 if re-elected, continuing his decades-long rule over a nation beset by deep political, security, and economic challenges.
Biya, who first assumed office in 1982 after the resignation of Cameroon’s founding president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, has since won seven consecutive elections.
He cast his vote on Sunday amid tight security at a polling station in Yaoundé, the capital.
Despite facing nine challengers, analysts predict another decisive victory for Biya, largely due to an electoral system that favors incumbents.
Cameroon’s one-round voting system means that whoever garners the highest number of votes wins outright, effectively preventing the opposition from rallying behind a single candidate in a runoff.
Among Biya’s rivals are several of his former allies, including Bello Bouba Maigari, a former tourism minister, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who recently served as employment minister.
Their divided campaigns have further weakened any prospect of a unified opposition front.
The election takes place amid multiple national crises.
In the country’s western regions, a violent separatist insurgency continues to pit English-speaking fighters against government forces, a conflict rooted in long-standing grievances of marginalization by the French-speaking majority.
Meanwhile, in the far north, Boko Haram’s cross-border attacks from Nigeria persist, straining both security forces and local communities.
Beyond the unrest, Cameroon faces worsening socioeconomic conditions.
According to the United Nations, about 43 percent of the population lives in poverty, lacking access to adequate income, education, and healthcare.
The nation of over 29 million people which are mostly young
and faces mounting frustration over unemployment and economic stagnation.
More than eight million voters, including about 34,000 in the diaspora, were registered to vote at over 31,000 polling stations nationwide.
Polls closed at 6 p.m., with official results expected by October 26.
While many Cameroonians have little expectation of political change, the vote underscores the enduring influence of Biya’s administration, which has weathered decades of internal strife and external criticism.
As one observer in Yaoundé put it, “This election isn’t about who wins, it’s about how much longer one man can rule a country that desperately needs renewal.”
