Paul Biya, 92, re-elected President of Cameroon for 8th term

By Ayorinde Oluokun with agency report

Paul Biya, the 92-year-old president of Cameroon was declared re-elected President for an eighth term tenure on Monday, securing 53.66 per cent of the votes.

The Cameroon’s Constitutional Council on Monday announced the victory of Biya in the disputed poll.

According to the Council, the candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, finished second with 35.19 per cent of the votes.

More than 4.6 million Cameroonians cast their ballots out of over eight million registered voters, bringing the turnout rate to 57 per cent, compared with 53.85 per cent in 2018 and 65.82 per cent in 2011.

Biya, 92, who has been in power since 1982, leads the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement.

Chiroma had last week claimed victory against Biya two days after the October 12 election.

Four people were killed in clashes between security forces and supporters of Tchiroma before the announcement of the official results on Monday.

This followed call by Tchiroma on his supporters to march peacefully on the eve of the announcement, despite a ban on public gatherings.

Tchiroma, claimed his own tally showed that he won 54.8 per cent of the votes against 31.3 per cent for Biya,

In Cameroon’s largest city, Douala, the regional governor said demonstrators “attacked” a gendarmerie brigade and police stations in two districts on Sunday.

“Four people, unfortunately, lost their lives,” said Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, adding that several members of the security forces were also injured.

Protesters said security forces fired “live ammunition” began after a volley of tear gas, a demonstrator told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, according to the Constitution, must be sworn in within 15 days of the official announcement of the results.

He is only the second head of state to lead Cameroon since independence from France in 1960.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place before the Cameroonian people, in the presence of the members of Parliament, the Constitutional Council and the Supreme Court. (