Cameroon’s 92-year-old president, Paul Biya, has officially declared his intention to seek re-election this October — a move that could keep him in power until nearly the age of 100.
Biya, who first assumed office in 1982, has governed the Central African nation for over 42 years. Despite long-standing concerns about his health and public absence, the nonagenarian leader insisted, “Much remains to be done. The best is yet to come,” in a statement released Sunday, as he announced his bid for an eighth term.
The president claimed his decision was driven by “urgent appeals coming from the 10 regions of our country and from the diaspora.”
This announcement follows months of speculation over his health, with rumors intensifying after a lengthy disappearance from public view. In response, Cameroon’s interior ministry banned media discussions about his condition, calling it a national security issue.
Same-sex relationships remain criminalized in Cameroon, with penalties of up to five years in prison under the country’s penal code.
While Biya has rarely been seen in public in recent years, he has consistently secured re-election — often by large margins — maintaining a tight grip on power. He is only the second president in the nation’s post-independence history, after Cameroon gained freedom from French and British rule in the early 1960s.
His latest campaign comes amid a fragmented opposition and increasing internal dissent. Some former allies have distanced themselves from Biya’s government and launched presidential campaigns of their own.
But experts suggest his dominance remains largely unchallenged.
“The opposition is too divided to defeat the ruling CPDM party,” said political analyst Collins Molua Ikome, based in Germany. “They don’t stand a chance running individually. Only a unified transitional coalition could threaten Biya’s hold on power.”
Attempts to form such a coalition have been blocked. In March 2024, the government labeled an alliance between two opposition parties illegal — a move Human Rights Watch condemned as part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
Biya’s regime has long faced allegations of authoritarianism and human rights abuses. Amnesty International has accused his government of “extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, torture… unfair trials, and persecution of individuals based on real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Despite mounting domestic and international criticism, Paul Biya remains determined to extend his already historic presidency well into his late 90s.
