Cameroon’s opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma, has declared victory in the country’s October 12 presidential election, calling on long-serving President Paul Biya to concede and “honour the truth of the ballot box.”
“Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma said in a late-night address on Facebook from his hometown of Garoua, in northern Cameroon. “The people have chosen. And this choice must be respected.”
Tchiroma, 76, a former government spokesperson and employment minister, broke away from Biya’s administration earlier this year to lead a campaign that drew strong support from opposition parties and civic groups.
President Biya, 92, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is seeking an eighth term after 43 years in power. Analysts had expected his control over state institutions and a divided opposition to favour his re-election despite growing discontent over economic stagnation and insecurity.
Tchiroma commended voters for their resilience, praising them for staying at polling stations late into the night to ensure their votes were counted. “We have placed the regime before its responsibilities,” he said. “Either it shows greatness by accepting the truth of the ballot box, or it plunges the country into turmoil.”
Also Read: Cameroonians Vote in Presidential Election as Biya Seeks Eighth Term
The government has not responded to the declaration. However, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji cautioned that any unilateral announcement of results would be treated as “high treason,” stressing that only the Constitutional Council is legally empowered to declare the winner.
Under Cameroon’s election laws, provisional results can be displayed at polling units, but the final results must be validated by the Constitutional Council, which has until October 26 to announce the outcome.
Tchiroma pledged to release a region-by-region breakdown of results compiled from publicly posted tallies, insisting the win belonged to the Cameroonian people. He urged the military and security agencies to remain loyal to the republic rather than to any political regime.
More than eight million registered voters participated in the one-round election, which awards the presidency to the candidate with the most votes.
