Cameroon President, Paul Biya To Contest Again At 93

President Paul Biya of Cameroon is set to contest the country’s presidential election again at the age of 93. The 89-year-old’s opponents are lukewarm, calling on him to step down and hand over power to a younger generation.

Biya, who is Africa’s longest-serving president, is currently 91 years old. He will contest in the 2026 Presidential Election to seek an eighth term, by which time he will be 93.

Cameroon’s long-serving President, Paul Biya, is reportedly preparing to run for an eighth term in the upcoming 2025 Presidential Election.

This information was shared by Kennedy Wandera, the founder of the Foreign Press Association Africa, on Thursday, referencing a report from The African.
Founder of the Foreign Press Association Africa, Kennedy Wandera disclosed this Thursday,  August 22, citing TheEastAfrican.
The report read: “Cameroon is due to hold its next presidential election in 2025, longtime President Paul Biya will be 93. He has confirmed that he will contest.

“If he wins the election, and completes the new seven-year mandate, Biya will be 100 years in 2032.
According to the report, Biya’s decision to delay the election by a year (postponed from 2025 to 2026), and to allow him to contest despite his age, has angered the opposition in Cameroon.

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The report stated that opposition politicians may not be allowed to contest, leaving Biya free to win again and serve for 7 years.

Biya has served as the President for 42 years since 1982. He also served as the Prime Minister for 7 years from 1975 to 1982 before then.

He postponed the Parliamentary and Municipal elections until 2026.

“Cameroon’s parliament last month approved Biya’s request to postpone parliamentary, and Municipal elections until 2026 to allow some breathing space, claiming that the political calendar is crowded,” the report said.

The report stated, “Cameroon is set to hold its next presidential election in 2025, and longtime President Paul Biya will be 93. He has confirmed his intention to contest.”

At 91 years old, Biya stands as one of the oldest and longest-serving leaders globally, having been in office since 1982. Before becoming president, he served as the country’s Prime Minister for seven years, from 1975 to 1982, under then-President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

In a controversial decision, Biya recently postponed the country’s Parliamentary and Municipal elections until 2026, citing security issues in the Anglophone regions, where a separatist conflict has been ongoing since 2016.

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The conflict began as protests against perceived marginalization by the Francophone-dominated government and has since escalated into a full-blown insurgency, with armed groups advocating for the independence of the English-speaking North West and South West regions.

Biya’s tenure has been characterized by a mix of political stability and increasing discontent, with his administration frequently criticized for authoritarian practices, including the suppression of opposition parties, limitations on press freedom, and the deployment of security forces to maintain control. Despite these challenges, Biya has successfully retained a firm hold on power, winning a series of elections that critics claim were tainted by fraud and irregularities.

“It will be good if the regime tries to change,” says another woman I speak to. “Why not make it a woman, why not make it a young person to take over?”

Another man says “The little he has done, we appreciate”, but suggests it’s now time for Mr Biya to “go and rest”.

But, as President Biya told journalists some years back after returning from one of his lengthy stays abroad, anyone who wants him dead will have to wait another 20 years.