We Do Not Need Candidates Over 70 — Joshua Osih

Joshua Osih, Chairman and presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), made a symbolic statement in Bamenda on Thursday, declaring that Cameroon no longer needs leaders over the age of 70.

The opposition leader was addressing supporters after submitting his candidacy documents for the October 2025 presidential elections at the regional headquarters of the elections Cameroon, (ELECAM) in Bamenda.

Joshua Osih chose to make a three-kilometer walk from Customs Junction to the ELECAM head office, flanked by chanting party militants, youth activists, and well-wishers.

He said the walk was not only symbolic of his solidarity with the suffering population of the conflict-hit North West Region but also a physical demonstration of what he called “readiness, strength, and commitment” to lead.

“The Electoral Code doesn’t add medical report as one of the documents, so we need to check whether the candidate we are offering the Cameroon people is fit. We do not want any president who is over 70,” Osih told the crowd.

“If a candidate doesn’t walk then they are not fit for the job.”

Call for Generational Change

Though he did not name names, the statement was widely interpreted as a direct challenge to incumbent President Paul Biya, 92, who has been in power since 1982 and is seeking another term.

Osih’s remarks sparked loud applause and chants from the crowd.

Many interpreted the message as a call for generational change and leadership that resonates with the realities of the youth, who make up the majority of Cameroon’s population.

He went further to challenge other presidential hopefuls to submit their candidacy documents in Bamenda, rather than in Yaounde, as a sign of national unity and commitment to resolving the long-running Anglophone Crisis.

“At the SDF, we have a political identity and this identity takes us to our roots. The headquarters of the SDF is here in Bamenda so there was no other place where we could submit the files of the next president of Cameroon,” Osih said.

His campaign promises include restoring peace in the North West and South West regions, tackling corruption, revamping the economy, and restructuring key state institutions to serve the people more effectively.