Cameroon votes as 92-year-old Biya seeks another 7-year term

Cameroonians went to the polls on Sunday in an election that could see Africa’s oldest leader, President Paul Biya, extend his more than four-decade-long rule by another seven years.Analysts widely expect Biya, now 92, to win again — a result that would keep him in power until the age of 99.He first took office in 1982 after the resignation of Cameroon’s founding president Ahmadou Ahidjo and has since won seven consecutive elections. The Central African nation has had only two leaders since gaining independence in 1960.Biya, whose health is often the subject of speculation, spends much of his time in Europe, leaving key government affairs to senior party officials and family members.In the face of an increasingly difficult international environment, our challenges are growing. I cannot abandon my mission,” Biya said while announcing his candidacy earlier this year.He faces nine opposition candidates, including former ministers Bello Bouba Maigari and Issa ...

• 12 Oct 2025