Daniel Otera
Paul Biya has clinched a controversial eighth term as President of Cameroon at the age of 92, extending his 43-year grip on power in a country where democracy remains fragile and dissent increasingly dangerous.
The official results, announced by the Constitutional Council on Monday, gave Biya 53.7% of the vote in the 12 October presidential election. His closest challenger, former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, secured 35.2%. But the outcome has been fiercely contested, with Tchiroma claiming he won with 54.8% and accusing the regime of electoral fraud.
“This is not the will of the Cameroonian people,” Tchiroma declared in a statement last week, urging his supporters to “defend their votes peacefully.” That call, however, has been met with deadly force.
At least four people were killed on Sunday in Garoua, northern Cameroon, during clashes between security forces and protesters. “They fired, three people, three bodies fell in front of us,” one demonstrator told AFP, requesting anonymity. Bullet casings were reportedly found near a gendarmerie post, where the shooting began after tear gas was deployed.
Regional governor Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua confirmed the deaths, saying demonstrators had “attacked” police stations and a gendarmerie brigade. Several officers were also injured in the unrest.
The violence underscores the deepening political crisis in Cameroon, where Biya Africa’s oldest serving head of state has ruled since 1982. He is only the second president since the country gained independence from France in 1960.
Critics say Biya’s long reign has been marked by authoritarianism, economic inequality, and brutal crackdowns on opposition. His government has faced international condemnation for its handling of separatist conflicts in the Anglophone regions, where thousands have died and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Despite these challenges, Biya has maintained a firm grip on power through a combination of patronage, constitutional amendments, and suppression of dissent. The 2025 election, many analysts argue, was never going to be a fair fight.
“This is a regime that has mastered the art of electoral manipulation,” said Dr. Nfor Emmanuel, a political analyst based in Yaoundé. “The opposition is allowed to run, but never to win.”
The Constitutional Council, led by Clement Atangana, dismissed all legal challenges to the vote, paving the way for Biya’s re-election. But the fallout is far from over.
In Douala and Yaoundé, tension remains high. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers, and public gatherings remain banned. Tchiroma’s supporters insist they will not back down.
“We are not afraid,” said one protester in Douala. “We want change, even if it costs us our lives.”
As Biya prepares to begin another seven-year term, Cameroonians are left grappling with a familiar question: how much longer can one man rule a nation yearning for renewal?