13 Candidates retained for Cameroon election, Kamto’s file rejected

Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) has officially released the list of candidates approved to contest the country’s highly anticipated presidential election scheduled for October 12, 2025. From a total of 83 applications submitted, only 13 candidacies have been accepted.

The most anticipated candidate, Prof. Maurice Kamto, has seen his file rejected by the Elections governing body.

Among the confirmed candidates is 92-year-old incumbent President Paul Biya, who will be seeking an eighth consecutive term in office. If reelected, Biya will be 99 years old at the end of his next mandate. His decision to run again has sparked widespread debate both at home and abroad, especially amid ongoing internal crises and growing economic challenges.

Absent from the list is Professor Maurice Kamto, a prominent opposition figure and leader of the MANIDERM party. Kamto’s exclusion has already triggered political reactions, with supporters questioning the transparency of the vetting process. ELECAM has yet to provide detailed reasons for the disqualification.

The 13 confirmed candidates include a mix of veteran politicians and new entrants, reflecting a broad political spectrum:

Official List of Approved Candidates, Cameroon 2025 Election:

1. Paul Biya – Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM)
2. Ateki Caxton – Liberal Alliance Party (PAL)
3. Bello Bouba Maigari – National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP)
4. Bouba Hagbe – MCNC
5. Hilaire Dzipang – Progressive Movement (MP)
6. Issa Tchiroma Bakary – Front for the Salvation of Cameroon (FSCN)
7. Kwemo Pierre – UMS
8. Cabral Libii – Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN)
9. Serge Espoir Matomba – PURS
10. Akere Muna – UNIVERS Party
11. Joshua Osih – Social Democratic Front (SDF)
12. Tomaino Njoya – Union Démocratique du Cameroun (UDC)
13. Hirondi Samuel – Front for Democratic Change (FDC)

Maurice Kamto disqualified.

Professor Maurice Kamto has been disqualified from the upcoming presidential election by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM). In the list published today, the election management body approved only 13 out of the 83 candidacy files submitted.

Kamto, who sought to contest under the MANIDEM party ticket, was not among those retained. His only remaining option now is to challenge the decision before the Constitutional Council.

ELECAM’s announcement comes after a delay in the scheduled publication, which was originally set for noon but pushed to 2:30 p.m., according to a revised timetable issued by ELECAM (Elections Cameroon).

With the candidate list now official, the country shifts focus to the electoral campaigns and how these diverse voices will shape the race for Cameroon’s highest office.

MMI