Paul Biya Declared Winner in Cameroon Election as Opposition Rejects Results
President Paul Biya cast his ballot at the Government Bilingual primary schools Bastos in Yaoundé Cameroon, October 12 2025 (AP Photo)
YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — October 27, 2025, Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has officially declared President Paul Biya the winner of the October 12 presidential election, extending his 43-year rule and solidifying his place among the world’s longest-serving leaders.
According to the Council, Biya, 92, secured 53.66 percent of the total votes cast under the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) banner. His main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary of the FSNC party, followed with 35.19 percent, while voter turnout stood at 57.76 percent.
The announcement triggered widespread tension and street protests across major cities including Douala, Garoua, and Yaoundé, with opposition supporters alleging electoral fraud and intimidation.
Security forces moved in swiftly, leading to at least four deaths and over 100 arrests, local officials confirmed.
In a defiant social-media statement, Tchiroma rejected the outcome, saying: “Kill me if you want, but I will liberate this country by any means necessary. What blatant impunity.” Opposition parties have vowed to challenge the results both in domestic courts and before international bodies, calling on the African Union and global observers to investigate alleged irregularities.
President Biya first assumed office in 1982 and has since faced repeated accusations of authoritarian rule, corruption, and electoral manipulation. In 2008, he removed constitutional term limits, a decision widely condemned by civil society groups. This year’s vote has intensified frustration among Cameroon’s youth, who make up over 70 percent of the population and continue to grapple with high unemployment and the ongoing Anglophone separatist conflict in the northwest and southwest regions.
Political analysts warn that Biya’s continued hold on power could deepen disillusionment and further isolate the government from a population demanding democratic renewal.
With another seven-year term ahead, Cameroon faces mounting questions: can the government restore calm and ease rising tensions? Will international partners press for reforms and dialogue? How long can Biya sustain power amid age concerns and declining legitimacy?
For now, the nation remains on edge — and for many Cameroonians, uncertainty remains the only certainty.
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