Frontier Correspondent
Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Cameroon’s Constitutional Council on Monday declared President Paul Biya the winner of the October 12 presidential election, securing him a record eighth consecutive seven-year term despite mounting opposition rejection and international unease.
Announcing the final tally in Yaoundé, Council President Clément Atangana proclaimed Biya, 92, as president-elect after garnering 53.66% of the vote, with national voter turnout reported at 57.76%. The margin represents Biya’s narrowest victory since 1992, when he won 60% of the vote.
Biya’s closest rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, finished second with 35.19%, according to official results. Tchiroma, a former government minister and once a close ally of Biya, had earlier declared himself the legitimate winner, citing parallel counts that showed him leading by a wide margin.
In a fiery statement following Monday’s announcement, Tchiroma rejected the outcome as “falsified and distorted”, vowing to “liberate this country by any means necessary.” His supporters took to the streets in Douala and parts of Yaoundé, prompting clashes with police who deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators. Local media reported arrests and sporadic gunfire near Tchiroma’s residence.
The election took place against the backdrop of continuing separatist unrest in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, where voter turnout was notably low—estimated at around 47%. Observers reported voter intimidation, ballot stuffing, and restricted access in several polling centers, though the Constitutional Council described the vote as “peaceful and credible.”
Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) dismissed opposition allegations of fraud, urging calm and respect for the Council’s ruling. Party spokespersons lauded the outcome as a reaffirmation of “Cameroon’s stability and democratic continuity.”
With this victory, Biya—who has ruled since 1982 following the death of founding president Ahmadou Ahidjo—extends his tenure to 2032, cementing his position as one of the world’s longest-serving leaders. His removal of presidential term limits in 2008 cleared the way for repeated re-elections that opposition groups and rights monitors have consistently denounced as deeply flawed.
The outcome underscores a widening generational and political divide in the Central African nation of nearly 30 million, where the median age is 18, yet power remains concentrated in the hands of leaders from the pre-independence era. Analysts warn that the combination of youth disillusionment, economic stagnation, and separatist violence could fuel renewed instability.
International responses have so far been muted. The African Union and European Union—which both deployed election observers—have refrained from issuing endorsements, pending full reports. Washington and Paris are expected to issue statements in the coming days.
Meanwhile, state broadcaster CRTV celebrated Biya’s re-election as “a resounding endorsement of peace and progress,” even as protests simmered nationwide and opposition leaders called for international mediation.
At 92, Biya is poised to govern well into his centenary, a symbol of continuity for supporters—but for many Cameroonians, a reminder of the enduring struggle for democratic renewal.