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Cameroon’s President Paul Biya announced on Sunday that he will run for an eighth term in the country’s upcoming presidential election scheduled for October, aiming to extend his rule which has lasted nearly 43 years.
The 92-year-old leader announced in both French and English via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“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,” he wrote.
“Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet. The best is still to come.”
President Paul Biya was already widely seen as the presumed candidate of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), the ruling party he leads. However, questions about his health and ability to govern have increasingly surfaced, especially given his age and long tenure.
In recent months, some of Biya’s longtime allies have begun to distance themselves from his leadership. Two high-profile defections have further underscored the shifting political landscape. Employment Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary resigned from the government in June to contest the presidency under the banner of his own party, the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC).
Similarly, former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari—an ally of Biya for nearly three decades—announced he will run as the candidate of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP).
Both the FSNC and NUDP have historically aligned themselves with Biya’s CPDM, which has been in power since Cameroon gained independence in 1960.
Other declared candidates include Maurice Kamto, who finished second in the 2018 election and remains Biya’s most vocal critic, and Cabral Libii, a prominent opposition figure representing the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (CPNR).
Prospective candidates have until July 21 to formally declare their intention to run. However, the opposition remains deeply fragmented and has struggled to unite behind a single contender—despite widespread public dissatisfaction with the government.
Many Cameroonians express frustration over high youth unemployment, rising living costs, and inadequate public services. Adding to the challenges, the country continues to face sporadic violence from separatist groups, particularly in the English-speaking regions of the predominantly francophone nation.
