Long queues mark final day of voter registration for 2024

By Tata Mbunwe

Thousands of Cameroonians flocked to various Elections Cameroon (Elecam) centers to register on the electoral list as voter registration for this year closes today.

In the final hours before the August 31 deadline, registration centers in Douala and Yaoundé witnessed long queues of men and women eager to enlist ahead of next year’s Presidential election.

Elecam, the country’s elections management body, closed the electoral registers today and will only reopen them next year.

In the lead-up to the deadline, opposition party leaders have been actively encouraging Cameroonians, particularly the youth, to register to vote, aiming to address the longstanding issue of voter apathy among younger populations.

Leaders such as Joshua Osih, Maurice Kamto, and Cabral Libii have been mobilizing voters in their efforts to challenge President Paul Biya’s 41-year rule, heavily relying on a strong turnout in the 2025 elections.

While President Paul Biya, 91, has not explicitly announced whether he will seek another term, his party supporters have widely endorsed him as their candidate.

The President, through the Parliament, postponed the Municipal and Legislative elections that were to hold in February next year.

The government mentioned lack of resources as one of the reasons for the election postponement.

Meanwhile, the Presidentials are expected to come up in October 2025.

According to Elecam, at least 7 million Cameroonians aged 20 and above have been registered on the electoral lists, out of a national population of nearly 30 million.

©Mimi Mefo Info