The Africa’s longest serving President, Paul Biya of Cameroon is set to contest the country’s next presidential election for 8th term at the age of 91,as the election is schedule to hold in 2025.
Penpushing reports that founder of the Foreign Press Association Africa, Kennedy Wandera made this known adding that the aged and ailing President of the Central African country has equally expressed and his declared interest
“Cameroon is due to hold its next presidential election in 2025, longtime President Paul Biya will be 93. He has confirmed that he will contest. If he wins the election, and completes the new seven-year mandate, Biya will be 100 years in 2032″, a statement reads
Penpushing further reports that a report has it that Biya’s decision to delay the election by a year (postponed from 2025 to 2026) , and to allow him to contest depite his age, has angered the opposition in Cameroon, which may prevent them(opposition politicians) contesting and pave way for Biya to win again and serve for seven years
The incumbent who is one of the world oldest President has served as the President for 42 years since 1982, and also served as the Prime Minister for 7 years from 1975 to 1982 under then-President Ahmadoy Ahidjo, while in a controversial move, he has just postponed the Parliamentary and Municipal elections until 2026 citing security concerns in the Anglophone regions where a separatist conflict has been raging since 2016
“Cameroon’s parliament last month approved Biya’s request to postpone parliamentary and Municipal elections until 2026 to allow some breathing space, claiming that the political calendar is crowded,” the report said.
Penpushing also reports that the conflict, which began as protests against perceived marginalisation by the Francophone dominated government, has since escalated into a full-blown insurgency, with armed groups calling for the independence of the English-speaking North West and South West regions
The President Biya’s time in power has been marked by a combination of political stability and growing discontent,with his administration often criticised for authoritarian practices,including the suppression of opposition parties,restrictions on press freedom, and the use of security forces to maintain control
Penpushing reports that despite these challenges Biya has managed to maintain a tight grip on power, winning a series of elections that critics argue were marred by fraud and irregularities, just as record has it that the country’s 180-member National Assembly is dominated by lawmakers from Biya’s ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement, with 152 seats who voted in favour of the bill to extend the mandate of their members for another 12 months when it expires on March 10, 2025
Meanwhile, the minority opposition, however, challenged the move emphasising that it is illegal in Cameroon to extend the mandate of lawmakers, stressing that the controversial decision was a landmine
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