By Njodzeka Kernyuy
After 54 years, Cameroon moved to reinstate the post of Vice President, which was scrapped in 1972, to ensure a smooth succession to Paul Biya, the world’s oldest President.
On Saturday, April 2, Cameroon’s two houses of parliament convened in a congress and voted 200 to 18 to adopt Bill 2094/PJL/P, amending the constitution and paving the way for Biya to appoint his deputy.
According to the controversial landmark bill, the Vice President will become the constitutional successor and will finish the mandate of the president in case of vacancy, whether through resignation, death or permanent incapacitation.
Some MPs, even from Biya’s party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), have expressed dissatisfaction with the bill, with some calling it “suspicious.”
Opposition MPs Boycotted Voting
As the CPDM majority in parliament was able to push the bill through, the voting process was largely boycotted by opposition members.
According to Hon. Joshua Osih, leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the bill does not reflect Cameroon’s democracy.
He argued that giving President Paul Biya the power to handpick and dismiss his constitutional heir weakens the democratic transfer of power in the Central African nation.
During the plenary session in which the bill was examined, the SDF proposed that the President and the Vice President should be elected by the people, and that if the Vice President comes from a Francophone region, the President should come from an Anglophone region, and vice versa.
That proposal, however, was brushed aside, as the party has only five Parliamentarians and one Senator in a Congress of 280 representatives, which the ruling party dominates with a large majority.
Others Say Bill is Unconstitutional
While the bill has been passed pending promulgation into law by the President himself, other opposition leaders, such as Maurice Kamto, president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, have described it as “a constitutional coup.”
Despite its passage through parliament, Kamto argues that it is a ploy to grab, maintain power and ensure the continuity of the CPDM.
For Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who contested last year’s presidential election and claims it was stolen from him, the bill has turned Cameroon into a monarchy.
He has urged Cameroonians not to accept it.
However, regime supporters, such as Higher Education Minister Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, who also serves as CPDM communications Secretary, has praised the MPs, arguing that the bill will ensure the continuity of the government and state institutions.
Paul Biya to Leave Power the Way He Came?
While speculations about who will succeed Biya are rife, many say the 93-year-old, currently the world’s second-longest-ruling leader, wants to exit the stage the way he came in.
Paul Biya was Cameroon’s first-ever Prime Minister in 1975, and in 1982 he became Cameroon’s second President following the resignation of his predecessor, Amadou Ahidjo.
That was possible because, in 1979, the constitution was amended, instituting the Prime Minister as the constitutional successor.
After ruling for 44 years, Biya suddenly sees the need for a deputy who, if he dies or resigns, will finish his mandate before any election is held.
Paul Biya just began his eighth term in office following a disputed victory on October 12, 2025.
His engagement with the population has dwindled over the last two decades, as he is rarely seen at televised public occasions.
The next presidential election is in 2032. Paul Biya turned 93 last February 13. If he happens to stay in power until then, he will have ruled for more than half a century and will be 100 years old.
