Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing another term in office despite growing opposition anger over the results.
The Constitutional Council announced on Sunday that Mr Biya, 92, had received 53.66% of the vote. His closest challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former communications minister, garnered 35.19%. Voter turnout stood at 57.76%, according to official figures.
Mr Biya’s victory extends his more than four-decade rule, making him one of the world’s longest-serving leaders. The result was widely expected, though opposition supporters had held out hope for an upset.
Mr Tchiroma rejected the official tally, claiming that his own team’s count showed him winning “with about 55% of the vote.” In a post on social media shortly after the announcement, he accused security forces of attacking civilians outside his home in Garoua, his political stronghold in northern Cameroon. “Urgent: right now at my home in Garoua, they are firing on civilians camped outside. The assault has begun,” he wrote.
Tensions have been rising since the 12 October vote. Security forces have been deployed across major cities, including Douala and Yaoundé, to deter demonstrations by opposition supporters. Analysts warn that the situation could escalate if the government cracks down heavily on protests.
In a bid to ease tensions, sources close to the presidency say Mr Biya had offered Mr Tchiroma the position of prime minister in his next government — an offer the opposition candidate reportedly declined.
Mr Tchiroma insists he will not back down, vowing to defend what he calls “the truth of the ballot box.” His campaign has hinted at plans to mobilise supporters both in the streets and through legal channels.
The dispute echoes previous elections in Cameroon, where opposition figures such as John Fru Ndi in 1992 and Maurice Kamto in 2018 also claimed victory but were never recognised by the authorities.
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