Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, has been declared winner of the country’s latest presidential election, securing 53.66 percent of the vote and extending his four-decade rule amid mounting opposition claims of electoral fraud and violent protests that left at least four people dead.
“Hereby proclaimed President-elect: the candidate Biya Paul,” announced Clement Atangana, president of the Constitutional Council, as he read out the official results on Monday in Yaoundé.
Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, dismantled presidential term limits in 2008 and has since maintained a tight grip on power, winning consecutive elections despite growing domestic and international criticism.
His main challenger in this election was Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesperson and employment minister in his late 70s, who broke ranks with Biya earlier this year. Tchiroma’s campaign drew sizable crowds and endorsements from a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups, positioning him as Biya’s most formidable rival in years.
However, allegations of widespread irregularities and vote rigging quickly followed the polls.
“The will of the people has been stolen,” Tchiroma told reporters at his campaign headquarters. “We won by a landslide, and the truth must prevail. President Biya must concede defeat and allow the people’s voice to be heard.”
Tensions boiled over on Sunday as protests erupted in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, and other cities including Ngaoundere, where clashes between demonstrators and security forces reportedly left at least four people dead.
Footage circulating on social media showed protesters chanting, “We want Tchiroma! Respect the truth of the ballot box!” while burning tyres and effigies of President Biya on barricaded streets.
“The security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters,” said a local activist in Douala who declined to be named for safety reasons. “People are tired of this regime. Forty years is too long.”
Despite the unrest, government officials have maintained that the election was conducted “freely and fairly.”
“The results reflect the true choice of the Cameroonian people,” a government spokesperson said, dismissing the opposition’s allegations as “baseless and inflammatory.”
The protests have heightened post-election tensions in the Central African nation, where Biya’s rule has long been marked by accusations of authoritarianism and human rights abuses.
Tchiroma, calling for calm but vowing not to back down, urged international observers to “stand with the Cameroonian people in their demand for democracy and justice.”
