Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has ruled in favor of President Paul Biya’s candidacy, allowing the 92-year-old leader to contest the country’s October 12, 2025 presidential election.
The decision, according to Business Insider Africa, dismisses a legal challenge questioning his eligibility on grounds of age and fitness to govern.
Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, is already the world’s oldest sitting president and one of Africa’s longest-serving heads of state.
His bid for an eighth term extends his nearly 43-year tenure, reinforcing questions over succession and the durability of the structures that have kept him in power for decades.
The petition against his candidacy was filed by Akere Muna of the Universe Party, one of 12 other cleared candidates.
Muna, a lawyer and anti-corruption advocate, argued that Biya’s advanced age and frail health made him unfit for office.
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While he accepted the ruling, he maintained that governance in Cameroon is largely carried out by Biya’s inner circle and First Lady Chantal Biya. “President Biya reigns but he doesn’t govern,” Muna was quoted.
The election field also includes longtime political figures such as Bello Bouba Maigari, Joshua Osih, Cabral Libii, and Muna himself. Opposition leader Maurice Kamto, seen as Biya’s strongest rival, was barred from the race earlier in August after his appeal was rejected.
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Analysts estimate Biya has a 60–70 percent chance of re-election, given the dominance of his ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) over electoral institutions.
The October vote will take place against the backdrop of multiple national crises—ongoing separatist violence in the Anglophone regions, Boko Haram insurgency in the north, widespread poverty, youth disillusionment, and shrinking press freedoms.
Observers note that Biya’s continued grip on power mirrors a wider African trend where aging leaders hold onto office despite health concerns.
Comparisons have been drawn with Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who ruled until age 93, Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned after mass protests in 2019, and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang, now in his 80s and still in office.
Image Credit: Business Insider Africa
