Paul Biya, 92, Confirms Eighth Term Bid Amid Growing Concerns

Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest-serving leader, has confirmed he will run for an eighth term in office.

In a message posted on X on Sunday, July 13, Biya wrote, “I am a candidate for the 12 October 2025 presidential election. Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us. Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet. The best is still to come.”

He repeated the same message in French, saying, “Je suis candidat à l’élection présidentielle du 12 octobre 2025. Soyez assurés que ma détermination à vous servir est à la mesure de l’acuité des défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés. Ensemble, il n’est pas de défis que nous ne puissions surmonter.”

Biya, who has ruled for 43 years, made the announcement as his party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), ramps up preparations for the 2025 elections.

Volatile context

This announcement comes despite widespread concern over his age and health. If reelected, Biya would be 99 by the end of the next term. His long rule has seen both praise for introducing multi-party democracy and criticism for authoritarian tendencies, especially in handling political dissent and the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest regions.

Dissenting voices

Opposition figures and analysts argue that Biya’s advanced age has made him increasingly detached from the realities on the ground, particularly the seven-year separatist conflict. Lawyer and opposition politician Tamfu Richard told DW that Biya’s absence from conflict zones reflects his inability to address pressing national challenges directly.

While some minor opposition parties have expressed support for Biya, political analyst Dr. John Akpo described them as “satellite parties” created to weaken the true opposition. The 2018 arrest and detention of opposition leader Maurice Kamto is cited as an example of the government’s suppression of dissent.

Within Biya’s coalition, support has been waning. Key partners like the Democratic Movement for the Defense of the Republic (MDR) and parts of the Union of the Populations of Cameroon (UPC) have lost influence. However, these groups remain part of the “G20” alliance that supports Biya’s leadership.

Meanwhile, there is growing speculation around a political future for Biya’s son, Franck Biya, who has been increasingly visible in the public sphere, raising questions about succession planning within the ruling elite.

The Catholic Church has recently drawn attention to the political situation, though local clergy have clarified that bishops are not calling for Biya’s resignation, but are urging improved living conditions and dialogue.

MMI