How Paul Biya Was Re-Elected: Cameroon 92-Year-Old President Extends Rule for eighth term

Cameroon has done it again. The world’s oldest sitting president, Paul Biya, has secured yet another term in office, his eighth, to be exact. At 92 years old, Biya is now set to lead his nation until nearly the century mark, a feat that both fascinates and frustrates many across Africa and beyond.

Official election results released after the October 12 presidential polls gave Biya 54 percent of the vote, ensuring that the man who first took power in 1982 will continue steering the country he has ruled for over four decades. But while his loyalists are celebrating a “historic victory,” the atmosphere in Cameroon is anything but calm.

This was Biya’s closest political contest since 1992, and it didn’t come without drama. His main rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 76, a former government minister and once one of Biya’s staunch allies, wasn’t having it. Official figures credited him with 35 percent of the vote, but Tchiroma Bakary immediately rejected the results, declaring himself the true winner.

He didn’t mince words either. In a defiant statement that electrified opposition supporters, he announced: “We will not accept our victory to be stolen from us. The people will not stand for it. The people are determined to fight against a regime that is deaf to their suffering and difficulties.” Protests quickly erupted in Yaoundé and Douala, leading to four reported deaths and a heavy deployment of security forces. For a nation already struggling with internal divisions, the election aftermath threatens to deepen Cameroon’s long-standing political cracks.

The Generational Disconnect: A 92-Year-Old Leader for a 19-Year-Old Nation

Here’s where the story gets even more striking, Cameroon’s median age is 18.9. That means most Cameroonians have never known another president besides Paul Biya. Imagine being born, growing up, going to school, starting a career, and raising your own kids, all under the same leader. That staggering generational gap tells its own story. For millions of young Cameroonians, Biya represents not stability, but stagnation, a system that hasn’t evolved with the times. Many in the youth population say their country feels frozen in time, while the rest of the world speeds forward.

Even Biya’s own daughter, Brenda Biya, joined the chorus of disapproval, publicly urging citizens not to vote for her father, accusing his administration of inflicting economic hardship on the nation. Her bold stance sent shockwaves through Cameroonian society, laying bare the generational and even familial divide within the Biya dynasty itself.

Power, Age, and a Legacy of Control

For those wondering how Biya has managed to stay this long, the answer lies partly in constitutional engineering. Back in 2008, he removed presidential term limits, effectively paving the way for life-long rule.

Since then, Biya has survived:

A 1984 coup attempt
Prolonged unrest in the English-speaking regions since 2016
And multiple internal party struggles within his Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM)

But questions about his health and capacity to govern have become impossible to ignore. The president is rarely seen in public and often spends long stretches abroad, with reports suggesting he’s spent over $65 million on travel and luxury stays throughout his presidency. To his critics, these absences symbolize a detached leader ruling from afar while the nation grapples with unemployment, corruption, and insecurity. To his supporters, however, Biya remains a symbol of experience and continuity, a seasoned leader who has kept Cameroon “steady” amid regional turmoil.

Biya’s narrow win and the fierce backlash have placed Cameroon in a tense post-election moment. Allegations of fraud, vote manipulation, and suppressed opposition continue to dominate the conversation, and international observers are watching closely. With opposition figures threatening protests and citizens growing restless, Cameroon could easily slip into the kind of post-election unrest seen in other African nations. The stakes are high, not just for Biya, but for the legacy of his entire generation of leaders.

Across Africa, 17 heads of state are over the age of 70, even as the continent’s median age hovers around 19. The political elite remains gray-haired and deeply entrenched, while the youth, vibrant, restless, and tech-savvy, are demanding change. The question now is whether Cameroon’s young population will continue to wait patiently, or if Biya’s re-election becomes the spark for something bigger.

The End of an Era, or Just Another Chapter?

At 92, Paul Biya has defied time, politics, and even nature’s odds to stay in power. His supporters call him a master tactician. His critics call him a relic of the past. But regardless of which side you stand on, his eighth term marks a pivotal moment for Cameroon, one that forces the world to confront uncomfortable questions about leadership, democracy, and generational power in Africa.

For now, Biya remains Cameroon’s president, a title he’s held longer than many of his citizens have been alive. Whether his new term ushers in reform or resistance is anyone’s guess. But one thing is certain: Cameroon’s story is far from over.