Cameroon Election: Tension as Paul Biya’s rival declares himself winner

Vote counting is ongoing in Cameroon after Sunday’s presidential election, where 92-year-old President Paul Biya is seeking to extend his 43 years in power.

Biya, already the world’s oldest head of state, is running for his eighth term against nine challengers.

If he wins, his new term would last until 2032.
No official results have been released yet, but one of Biya’s top rivals, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has claimed victory.

His announcement goes against a government warning that publishing unofficial results is considered “high treason.” The Constitutional Council must announce the official outcome within 15 days of the election.

Tchiroma’s supporters protested in Garoua, his hometown, clashing with security forces who used tear gas.

Earlier, Tchiroma once a Biya ally said he was receiving threats but refused to leave his home, saying he was “under the protection of God and the Cameroonian people.”

While Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji said voting was peaceful across all 10 regions, there were reports of violence in the north and boycotts in English-speaking regions.

In some areas, separatists tried to stop people from voting, leaving many citizens too afraid to go to polling stations.
Opposition members complained before the vote that the government was working to suppress them.

In August, the Constitutional Council barred Maurice Kamto, a popular opposition leader, from running—raising further doubts about the fairness of the election.

Minister Nji also warned that any candidate trying to announce results ahead of the official declaration would face punishment.

As the nation waits for the final outcome, many are asking whether Paul Biya will once again hold onto power and keep his title as the world’s oldest president.