World’s Oldest President: 92yr Old Biya Announces Bid For 8th Term As Cameroon’s Leader Amid Health Concerns!

By Our Reporter

As Cameroon prepares for presidential elections on October 12, President Paul Biya — the world’s oldest head of state at 92 — faces an unusual wave of public dissent despite his decades-long grip on power.

Announcing his bid for an eighth term in July, Biya said he was responding to “numerous and insistent” calls to remain in office. Yet this year’s campaign season has also been marked by unprecedented appeals for him to step aside.

The first open challenge came last Christmas, when Archbishop Samuel Kleda, one of the country’s most prominent Catholic leaders, said on French radio it was “not realistic” for Biya to continue leading the nation.

Soon after, two cabinet ministers from Cameroon’s politically influential northern regions resigned and openly questioned the president’s fitness to rule. Then, in perhaps the most surprising rebuke, Biya’s 27-year-old daughter, Brenda Biya, posted a TikTok video last month declaring that her father “has made too many people suffer” and urging Cameroonians to vote him out. Although she later retracted the statement, the video continues to circulate widely among his critics.

Despite these rare signs of defiance — and mounting economic and security challenges — analysts say Biya remains well-positioned to win again in the cocoa- and oil-rich Central African nation. His resilience, they argue, rests on the same pillars that have sustained his rule for more than four decades: a deeply entrenched patronage system, weak electoral institutions, a loyal military, and a fragmented opposition.

“The president has managed to enforce loyalty to him and the system,” said Arrey Ntui, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group. “Very few people in the ruling establishment are willing to put their heads above the parapet to challenge him. When it comes to the president, there is no more independent thinking — it’s just one line: the president is there, he’s able to run again, that’s it.”

Biya first assumed power in 1982, succeeding his mentor Ahmadou Ahidjo, whom he later sidelined and forced into exile. He survived a coup attempt in 1984 and narrowly won Cameroon’s first multiparty election in 1992, securing just 40% of the vote — three points ahead of his challenger. In 2008, he removed presidential term limits through a constitutional amendment, paving the way for subsequent victories in 2011 and 2018, elections widely criticized for alleged fraud and intimidation.

Health & Control

Now in his tenth decade, Biya’s greatest vulnerability may be his health. Speculation has swirled for years, most recently after he disappeared from public view for 42 days in 2024. The government dismissed such reports as “pure fantasy” and even banned public discussion of the issue.

Meanwhile, millions of Cameroonians continue to endure unreliable electricity, poor roads, and limited access to clean water and waste services — persistent issues that opposition leaders argue reflect decades of stagnation and mismanagement.

Yet Biya’s political machinery remains formidable. His government wields significant influence over the electoral process, a reality underscored when a court in July barred opposition leader Maurice Kamto — who finished second in 2018 — from contesting this year’s race. The court ruled that the party he sought to represent had already endorsed another candidate, a decision Human Rights Watch said “raises concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.”

Kamto, who was arrested after leading protests against the 2018 results, faced insurrection charges before a military court — charges his lawyers said could have carried the death penalty. He was released months later, but his supporters have since faced continuous harassment.

“Arrest or the threat of arrest has long kept the opposition weak,” said Raoul Sumo Tayo, senior researcher at South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies. “Even ordinary citizens are cautious. When you take a taxi in Cameroon, you don’t know who the driver really is. People are afraid to speak. Everyone wants to protect their families — and that silence strengthens the regime.”