Cameroon's Constitutional Council has declared that President Paul Biya, who has led the country since 1982, won re-election in a vote accompanied by deadly violence. The council announced on Monday that the 92-year-old incumbent secured 53.66 percent of the vote in the October 12 election.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon
Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma received 35.19 percent, it added. Clement Atangana, president of the Constitutional Council, stated, "Hereby proclaimed president-elect: the candidate Biya Paul."
Tchiroma, a former government spokesperson and minister in his late 70s, had claimed victory days before the announcement, citing results he said were collated by his party.
Opposition Claims and Protests
The opposition said 'state machinery' was used to manipulate the election and released footage of alleged voter fraud. The leading opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, had refused to file a petition, but instead declared himself the winner with 54.8 per cent of the vote. The Constitutional Council - composed of individuals appointed by Biya himself and accused by opposition figures of being deeply embedded in the ruling establishment - swiftly dismissed all complaints before announcing the official results.
Read also: A Profile of Paul Onwuanibe
On Monday, some Cameroonian cities were on lockdown after Tchiroma called for that as a way for citizens to protest the election results. Some cities in Cameroon were deserted Tuesday after the main opposition leader asked citizens to stay at home to protest the recent election win of 92-year-old President Paul Biya.
The three-day lockdown, which began Monday, was mainly in key opposition strongholds including the economic hub of Douala and in northern cities like Maroua and Garoua, where deadly protests have taken place in recent days. There was partial compliance in the capital of Yaoundé on Tuesday as some businesses continued as usual.
In his call for a lockdown, Tchiroma said: “Let us keep our shops closed, suspend our activities, remain at home in silence, to demonstrate our solidarity."
The lockdown in cities where people decided to stay indoors has resulted in economic hardship with businesses and offices closed while some transport services including along intercity routes are grounded.
Amadou Adji, a resident of Garoua whose niece was among those killed during the protests, expressed support for the lockdown. “The lockdown is also a form of solidarity which we are showing to Tchiroma,” said Amadou.
Read also: Egyptian Influence on Gaultier
In the economic hub of Douala, food seller Caroline Akuh said it’s been difficult to make ends meet for her family since the lockdown started.
“We are afraid to step out ... we are tired of this,” she said. In Yaoundé, the cost of a 5 liter bucket of potatoes has jumped to $8.78 from $3.50 less than a week ago.
“Prices have gone up in ways no one anticipated,” said Celestin Mimba, a resident in the capital.
Concerns Over Legitimacy and Succession
By maintaining the continuity of Cameroon’s ruling establishment under Biya, the election has deepened the legitimacy and succession crises facing the country. As security forces crack down on protests in support of the opposition, which has disputed the result of the election, the government is under popular pressure to improve its accountability and inclusivity.
Even considering the allegations of manipulation, Biya’s declared victory sits only just above the necessary majority threshold and marks a sharp decline from his previous mandates (71 per cent in 2018 and 77 per cent in 2011). This reflects a substantial shift in public sentiment and political alliances, suggesting the ruling establishment underestimated the popular desire for change.
Read also: Ethiopian Cuisine in St. Paul
Widespread support for Tchiroma, despite him having served in various ministerial roles under Biya from 1992 until earlier this year, demonstrates the magnitude of demand for leadership change. While Biya has played an important role balancing between different political factions, he has made few public appearances recently and his decision to stand for another seven-year-term was contentious.
Most controversially, Biya was declared overwhelmingly victorious in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone regions, where separatists have been fighting the government for a decade. According to the official results, Biya received 86.31 per cent of the vote in the North West region and 68.79 per cent in the South West. The official announcement sparked sizeable protests in major urban areas, as well as among the Cameroonian diaspora.
It is likely to be obstructed by Cameroon’s heavily militarized response to dissent. Supporters of the main opposition challenger in 2018, Maurice Kamto, were arrested and imprisoned following the post-election crisis that year. Statements by the Minister of Territorial Administration saying that Tchiroma will be ‘dealt with rigorously and firmly’ point to a potential similar escalation of repression.
The military has been preparing to support the police and gendarmerie in containing the protests in cities, including by redeploying soldiers from the Far North. At least four civilians were reportedly killed by security forces during demonstrations on 26 October. Tchiroma alleged that another two peaceful protestors were shot on 27 October outside his residence in the city of Garoua.
With more mass demonstrations planned, escalating militarization risks linking urban political dissent to long-standing armed conflicts in Cameroon’s peripheral regions. This would add further pressure on a security system that has already been challenged for a decade by Islamist militant groups in the Far North, and Anglophone separatism in the South West and North West.
The administration might be tempted to unilaterally postpone the legislative election, already delayed until 2026, in order to regain its footing. But this move would almost certainly trigger renewed public unrest.
Ironically, the ruling establishment’s ability to execute its electoral strategy entrenches its greatest structural weakness.
Africa stands at a critical crossroads.
🇨🇲CAMEROON: TWO PRESIDENTS SWORN IN? BIYA or TCHIROMA - The Legitimacy Crisis Explained
Criticism of the African Commission
We, the undersigned, express our deep concern and disappointment over the recent letter of congratulations purportedly issued in the name of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (‘African Commission’) on 27 October 2025 to President Paul Biya of Cameroon following the disputed elections conducted on 12 October 2025. This letter compromises the impartiality and independence of the Commission as the continental institution whose mandate includes investigating and considering allegations of human rights violations that may arise in connection with the electoral process.
The African Commission was established to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights, not as an institution that endorses or legitimizes contested political outcomes. By congratulating President Biya - amid credible reports of election-related violence leading to verified fatalities - the Commission has, wittingly or unwittingly, undermined its credibility and betrayed both the letter and the spirit of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Across Africa, the democratic landscape is deteriorating at an alarming pace. The return of unconstitutional changes of government in several states, the weakening of independent institutions, and the manipulation of electoral processes have combined to create a climate of impunity and repression. In the absence of independent mechanisms to check the excesses of corrupt and authoritarian leaders, citizens across the continent have taken to the protests to demand accountability and reforms, often at great personal risk.
These developments should have prompted the African Commission to take proactive, coordinated action to remind states of their obligations under both the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Instead, the Commission has chosen to issue congratulations that undermine the very values it is mandated to uphold.
Four days after transmitting the letter of congratulations to President Biya, the Commission on 31 October 2025 issued a statement on the human rights situation in Cameroon in which it acknowledged “post-election violence and the resulting deterioration of the human rights situation”. The following day, the Commission issued a similar statement on the situation of human rights in Tanzania, in which it acknowledged “unrest has left hundreds of people dead, and hundreds injured, following clashes with security forces”.
We note with regret that the elections in Cameroon - and in Tanzania - occurred during the Commission’s public session in Banjul. Yet, there was a conspicuous absence of engagement by the Commission, including its relevant Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders, freedom of association and assembly, and the situation in Cameroon and Tanzania.
These statements underscore the point that the letter of congratulations has damaged the Commission’s credibility and public standing. In this circumstance, we consider these statements insufficient in discharging the high burden on the Commission to clarify its position. Merely issuing a statement is insufficient. What is required is concrete action to uphold the sanctity of human life and dignity, particularly in the context of elections, and to restore confidence in the institution’s impartiality and integrity.
At a time when public faith in continental institutions is at its lowest since the adoption of the African Charter, the Commission must recommit to its founding mission. Trust, once broken, can only be rebuilt through truth, accountability, and visible action. The credibility of the Commission depends on its ability to prioritize the rights and dignity of African citizens over political convenience and deference to power. Issuing congratulatory letters to candidates or politicians who have contested or run for public office compromises the Commission’s mission and falls outside its remit.
The Commission must act with urgency and consistency in responding to emerging crises-particularly around elections and mass protests-both during its sessions and through the continuous work of its Special Rapporteurs and country rapporteurs. It should issue timely public communications, undertake fact-finding missions, and engage directly with state parties, including in the lead-up to elections, to prevent and respond to human rights violations, conflict-related sexual violence, killings, and abuses.
Africa's Leadership Paradox
The elections featured a bureaucrat in Cameroon who has become the world’s oldest leader with half his life spent as president. An economist in Ivory Coast who is starting his fourth term at age 83. Africa is home to some of the world’s youngest populations and oldest leaders, a paradox that has contributed to an upsurge in coups from the Sahel region in the west to Madagascar.
A vandalized campaign billboard of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya
“This is really symptomatic of competitive authoritarianism … where elections are fundamentally imbalanced and skewed in favor of those already in power,” said Smith.
After 43 years in power, he won his eight term in the country’s election on Oct. Biya is rarely seen in public and critics say his capacity to govern has been severely limited by his age.
Oumarou Bouba, a 27-year-old trader in the northern city of Maroua who has joined recent protests, said he will not back down despite arrests.
Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara, 83, was reelected to a fourth term in the Oct. A court had ruled that Tidjane Thiam, Ouattara’s main challenger and a former CEO of Credit Suisse, was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. He alleged he was excluded from the race to pave way for Ouattara’s reelection and called the election a sham.
Ouattara was first elected president in 2010 but not without challenges. Then-President Laurent Gbagbo, who lost the election to Ouattara, had refused to concede defeat, resulting in an electoral crisis with thousands killed.
| Leader | Country | Age | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Biya | Cameroon | 92 | Eighth |
| Alassane Ouattara | Ivory Coast | 83 | Fourth |
Popular articles:
tags: #Cameroon
