Cameroon's 92-year-old president wins controversial eighth term

Cameroon’s longtime leader Paul Biya, aged 92, has been declared the winner of the country’s highly contested presidential election, extending his rule into a seventh decade.

The Constitutional Council announced that Biya secured 53.7% of the vote, while his main challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary received 35.2%. The opposition, however, rejected the results, calling the election “deeply flawed” and “manipulated.”

Biya, who first took power in 1982, remains the world’s oldest serving head of state and Africa’s second-longest ruling president, after Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea.

Tensions are high across Cameroon as the announcement sparks unrest. In Bamenda, streets are nearly empty, with residents fearing clashes between opposition supporters and security forces. Reports indicate at least four deaths in Douala, the nation’s commercial hub, following violent confrontations with police.

In the capital Yaoundé, schools and shops have closed, and many civil servants stayed home amid heavy deployment of security forces. Demonstrations have been banned, but opposition groups insist the ruling party is trying to “steal victory” from them.

Paul Biya’s four-decade rule has drawn both praise and criticism. Supporters credit him for expanding education and peacefully resolving the Bakassi Peninsula dispute with Nigeria. Critics, however, point to rising youth unemployment, widespread corruption, and a brutal separatist conflict in the English-speaking west that has displaced thousands.

Biya’s rare public appearances and extended stays in Swiss hotels have fueled rumors about his health and leadership capacity. Despite this, his hold on power remains firm, largely due to a fragmented opposition and strong control over state institutions.

As Cameroon enters this new political chapter under Biya’s continued rule, citizens are divided between hope for stability and frustration over what many view as a democratic stagnation.

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