Paul Biya, the incumbent President of Cameroon, has secured an unprecedented eighth consecutive term, potentially extending his rule into his late 90s.
The official confirmation came on Monday from the nation’s Constitutional Council, which validated the election results.
“Paul Biya has officially been declared the President-elect,” announced Clement Atangana, the Council’s chairman.
The certified results, published Monday, reveal that the 92-year-old leader obtained 53.66% of the vote, surpassing his closest rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who received 35.19%. The October 12, 2025 election was marked by low voter participation and increasing demands for political reforms.
This triumph ensures that Biya, one of the globe’s oldest and longest-serving leaders, will continue to govern Cameroon for another seven years, maintaining a presidency that began in 1982.
The Lasting Political Legacy of Paul Biya
As Africa’s most senior sitting head of state and the continent’s second longest-serving president after Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Paul Biya’s leadership has spanned over four decades.
He took office in 1982, succeeding Ahmadou Ahidjo, initially pledging democratic progress and greater governmental openness. Over time, however, Biya has centralized authority and tightened his grip on power.
Following a narrow victory in the 1992 presidential race, Biya has systematically sidelined major opposition factions amid allegations of electoral fraud and a divided opposition.
Supporters point to accomplishments such as the nationwide expansion of educational facilities and the peaceful resolution of the Bakassi Peninsula dispute, which resulted in the transfer of the oil-rich region from Nigeria to Cameroon.
Despite these achievements, Biya’s administration has faced a violent separatist conflict in the Anglophone regions for more than ten years. Additionally, youth unemployment has surged to nearly 40%, critical infrastructure such as roads and healthcare has deteriorated, and freedom of expression remains heavily restricted.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Cameroon has been governed by only two presidents, with Biya being the second.
Opposition Challenges the Election Outcome
Following the announcement, supporters of Issa Tchiroma, who claims to have won 54.8% of the vote compared to Biya’s 31.3%, have rejected the official results.
On Sunday, hundreds of opposition demonstrators blocked key thoroughfares and set tires ablaze in Douala, Cameroon’s economic hub, escalating tensions ahead of the formal declaration.
Security forces responded by deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters backing opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma.
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