Cameroon At Crossroads As Opposition Claims Election Victory
3 weeks ago
Cameroon Opposition Leader Claims Election Victory Over 92-Year-Old President
October 15, 2025
Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the winner of Cameroon's presidential election held on October 12, directly challenging 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya's 43-year grip on power.
In a video statement posted to Facebook with the Cameroonian flag displayed behind him, the 76-year-old Tchiroma made a bold appeal to the longtime president: "Our victory is clear, it must be respected. We call on the regime in power to show greatness and to honour the truth of the ballot box with a long-awaited gesture: that phone call of congratulations."
Official Results Pending
The announcement comes before Elecam, Cameroon's electoral commission, has released official results. The commission has until October 26 to validate and announce the outcome through the constitutional council.
Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji warned against premature victory declarations at a Sunday press conference, calling it "the red line that must not be crossed." Publishing results before the constitutional council's validation is illegal under Cameroonian law.
Despite this, supporters from both camps have been circulating images on social media showing tally sheets from individual polling stations, with each side claiming victory. Several of the nine opposition candidates have already congratulated Tchiroma on his reported win.
A Former Ally Turned Challenger
Tchiroma's candidacy represents a dramatic political shift. A longtime Biya ally and former government spokesperson, he resigned in June and quickly emerged as the leading opposition figure. He now heads the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC) with backing from the Union for Change, a coalition of opposition parties.
"A country cannot exist in the service of one man," Tchiroma wrote in his open letter announcing his candidacy. "It must live in the service of its people."
His campaign manifesto promised a three-to-five-year transition period to rebuild what he described as a country destroyed under Biya's leadership.
Echoes of 2018
The premature victory declaration recalls the 2018 presidential election, when opposition candidate Maurice Kamto announced himself as winner the day after voting. Kamto was subsequently arrested, his supporters' rallies were violently dispersed, and dozens were detained. Some remain imprisoned.
The precedent has raised concerns about potential government crackdown on opposition celebrations and gatherings in the coming days.
Biya's Enduring Rule
Paul Biya stands as the world's oldest serving president and has ruled Cameroon for over four decades. He is only the second head of state to lead the country since it gained independence from France in 1960.
His tenure has been marked by authoritarian governance, suppression of political and armed opposition, and persistent challenges including social upheaval, economic inequality, and separatist violence in the country's anglophone regions.
More than 8 million citizens were registered to vote in the single-round election, where the candidate with the most votes wins outright. Official turnout figures have not yet been released.
The international community is watching closely as Cameroon awaits official results that could either extend Biya's historic reign or usher in a new political era for the Central African nation.
