How Brief Is Biya’s Private Stay in Europe?

By Njodzeka Kernyuy

It has been over a week since President Paul Biya left Cameroon on June 7 for what the presidency had described as a “brief” private holiday in Europe.

The time of his return was not disclosed, but his previous holidays have usually spanned between 20 to 30 days or more.

This time, he left the country at a critical time, as many expect to see changes in the country’s leadership following his disputed victory in the 2025 presidential election.

The 93-year-old on December 31, 2025, said he would be forming a new government soon, and reshuffle the leadership of state corporations. However, that has not been done to date.

The last time Paul Biya reshuffled his government was in 2019, shortly after the 2018 presidential election.

Between that period and now, some Ministers have died, and others have resigned. The Ministry of Mining, Industries, and Technological Development; the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training; and the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure are all occupied by interim Ministers.

Post of Vice President Unoccupied

While appointments of new Ministers were expected, the president instead tabled a bill in parliament in March 2026 in which the Constitution was modified, reintroducing the post of Vice President that was scrapped in 1972.

He later promulgated it into law. That decision shifted attention from government formation to who will become the constitutional successor to Paul Biya.

According to the new law, the Vice President, in case of any vacancy, will complete the president’s mandate before organizing elections.

Paul Biya is barely a year into the seven-year mandate of his eighth term.

This means that if a vacancy were declared today, the Vice President would have to rule for more than six years before organizing an election.

Who Will Become the Vice President?

However, who will become the president’s deputy is undecided, but public opinion is narrowing it down to three people.

It could be the Secretary General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh. The presidency’s top official is seen as all-powerful in the state’s decision-making processes.

He has the president’s signature and certain powers to act on his behalf.

Also in the running is Frank Biya. He is known to many as a businessman, but he has a degree in political science, and over the last decade he has been accompanying his father on foreign trips and certain national events. 

Apart from these two, there is also talk about Frank Hertz. He is a twin son of Chantal Biya, President Biya’s wife. Hertz is also a businessman, but there are reports of him being part of official delegations during trips between Paul Biya and other heads of state.

Is Biya’s Holiday Meant to Decide?

Since leaving the country more than a week ago, many have said Biya is heading somewhere he can have a cool head and make very important decisions regarding government members and the Vice President.

According to the Civil Cabinet at the Presidency, Biya traveled with his chief of staff, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo; his wife, Chantal Biya; and the chief of state protocol, Simon Bekele.

Apart from these known figures, the public is unaware of who else is on that trip. If the trip is meant to take time far from home to make decisions, then it is likely that presidential advisers may have secretly followed them as well.

While the president is thousands of miles away, many have kept their fingers crossed, waiting for his return and for any news regarding political appointments.