Cameroon Awaits Presidential Decree Convening Electorate

With less than 48 hours remaining, Cameroonians are anxiously awaiting President Paul Biya’s confirmation of the date for the upcoming presidential election.

The President of the Republic must sign a decree to convene electors, as stated in Section 86(1) of Cameroon’s Electoral Code.

Paragraph (2) further stipulates: “No less than 90 (ninety) days shall elapse between the date of publication of the convening decree and the day of election.”

By signing this decree, the President will officially confirm the election date, along with the time for polling stations to open and close.

Paragraph (3) of Section 86 specifies that polling shall take place on a Sunday or a day declared a public holiday and must last a single day. Paragraph (4) adds: “The decree convening electors shall specify the time of opening and closing of polling stations.”

2018 Electoral Timeline

In the last presidential election in 2018, President Paul Biya signed the decree convening the electorate on July 9.

That decree scheduled the election for Sunday, October 7, 2018—just 90 days later.

Applying the same legal requirement in Section 86(2), this year’s voting date would likely fall on either Sunday, October 5, or Sunday, October 12, 2025, to meet the 90-day threshold.

ELECAM recently released a document stating that the elections will take place on October 12, 2025. The presidential decree now needs to confirm this date.

Last-Minute Rush to Register

The law suspends voter registration on the electoral roll immediately after the president signs the decree convening the electorate.

However, the Director General of ELECAM may extend registration for a few additional days.

In anticipation of the deadline, ELECAM offices across the country have seen a surge of activity.

Crowds gathered at registration centres in Buea as first-time voters rushed to enrol and others collected their voter cards.

Registration will close once the decree is issued, but registered voters can still pick up their cards in the weeks before the election.

Possession of a valid voter’s card remains a requirement to cast a ballot on election day, which is now just three months away.

MMI