Maurice Kamto, a vocal critic of Cameroon’s long-serving President Paul Biya, has officially submitted his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election on October 12.
Kamto, 71, who secured second place in the 2018 election, will run under the banner of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), according to a confirmation from party leader Anicet Ekane to a local television station.
Kamto previously ran for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) in 2018. However, Ekane stated that Kamto will “resign from the MRC to join MANIDEM,” a party established in the 1990s with strong Pan-Africanist roots.
The 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982, is seeking an unprecedented eighth term in office.
So far, 19 candidates have registered for the October election. This list includes former prime minister Bello Bouba Maigari, a close ally of Biya for nearly three decades, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who resigned as employment minister in early June to launch his presidential bid.