Cameroon’s long-time president, Paul Biya, faces mounting pressure to step down as the country prepares for elections on October 12, even as he seeks an eighth term in office.
The 92-year-old leader, who has ruled the Central African nation since 1982, announced his re-election bid in July, saying he was responding to “numerous and insistent calls” urging him to remain in power. But his declaration has sparked a wave of public appeals including from prominent religious leaders, former ministers, and even his own daughter urging him to relinquish the presidency.
Catholic Archbishop Samuel Kleda was among the first to speak out, telling French radio last Christmas that it was “not realistic” for Biya to continue leading the country. His remarks were followed by the defection of two cabinet members from Cameroon’s influential northern regions, both openly questioning Biya’s ability to govern.
The debate reached a new level when Biya’s daughter, Brenda Biya, posted a video on TikTok last month saying her father “has made too many people suffer” and urged Cameroonians to vote him out. Although she later retracted the statement, the clip continues to circulate widely among the president’s critics.
Despite the controversy, Biya remains a formidable contender. Analysts say his entrenched control over state institutions, the military, and a divided opposition continues to secure his grip on power.
The president has managed to enforce loyalty to him and the system,” said Arrey Ntui, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Very few people in the ruling system are willing to put their heads above the parapet to challenge him. When it comes to the president, there is no more independent thinking it is just a one-line story: the president is there, he’s able to run again, that’s it.”
Health Concerns and Governance Challenges
Now in his fourth decade in power, Biya’s health has become a key point of speculation. Last year, he disappeared from public view for 42 days, sparking rumours of ill health claims the government dismissed as “pure fantasy.”
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Meanwhile, many Cameroonians continue to face poor access to basic services such as electricity, water, and waste management. Yet, Biya’s regime maintains firm control over the country’s political and security structures, limiting the opposition’s ability to mount an effective challenge.
Concerns about the credibility of the upcoming election have also deepened. In July, a court disqualified opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who finished second in 2018, ruling that his party had already endorsed another candidate.
Human Rights Watch said the decision “raises concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.”
Kamto, who previously accused the government of ballot fraud and intimidation, was arrested in 2019 after organising protests. He faced insurrection charges that his lawyers said could have carried the death penalty, though he was released later that year.
Experts say such tactics have long been used to weaken opposition voices and instil fear across the political spectrum.
“When you take a taxi in Cameroon, you don’t know who exactly is the driver. People are afraid to speak,” said Raoul Sumo Tayo, a senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. “Everybody in Cameroon wants to see their children grow, and so many stay quiet and it empowers the regime.”
Despite his age and the challenges facing his government, Paul Biya appears determined to extend his 43-year rule, maintaining a hold on power that has made him the world’s oldest head of state.
