Vote counting is currently underway in Cameroon following Sunday’s presidential election, a process that will determine whether Paul Biya, the long-serving incumbent, will secure his eighth term in office. Biya, who at 92 years old holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest head of state, is competing against nine other candidates. Should he win, this election would extend his 43 years in power, with the next presidential election scheduled for 2032.
Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji reported that the voting process across the nation proceeded “hitch-free.” However, reports indicate that calls for a boycott in the English-speaking regions of the west were observed, and isolated clashes were reported in the north. The official results are expected to be announced within 15 days of the election.
In the lead-up to the election, opposition parties voiced concerns about efforts to suppress their support. Notably, Maurice Kamto, a 71-year-old opposition leader widely considered Biya’s main challenger, was barred from participating by the Constitutional Council in August.
In Garoua, a stronghold for opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, supporters of the 76-year-old former Biya ally took to the streets and clashed with security forces. Tear gas was deployed after his residence was cordoned off. Bakary had earlier expressed feeling threatened, stating, “It is not Tchiroma who is the problem. I place myself under the protection of God and the Cameroonian people. I am at home; I will not move. If they intend to come and take me away from home, I will not move.”
Despite these incidents, Interior Minister Nji reiterated that the polls were conducted without major disruptions in all ten regions. He did not directly address the situation in Garoua but instead alluded to previous allegations that some presidential candidates planned to prematurely release election results before the official declaration, warning of legal action against any such violations.
