Cameroon’s 92-year-old President, Paul Biya, has declared his intention to seek an eighth term in office in the October 2025 presidential election, potentially extending his rule to nearly half a century.
Biya, who has ruled the country since 1982, made the announcement on Monday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), shared in both French and English.
“I am a candidate for the 12 October 2025 presidential election.
“Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us. Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet.
“The best is still to come,” he wrote.
In a formal statement titled “Declaration of Candidacy for the 12 October 2025 Presidential Election by His Excellency Paul BIYA,” the long-serving leader emphasized his continued commitment to national stability.
“Ensuring the security and well-being of the sons and daughters of our beloved and beautiful country is the sacred duty to which I have devoted my time and energy since assuming the helm of State,” he said.
“However, much remains to be done. In the face of an increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing.
In such a situation, I cannot shirk my mission. I have therefore decided to heed the numerous and insistent calls from the ten regions of our country and from the diaspora,” he added.
“The best is still to come.”
While Biya was already seen as the de facto candidate of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), which he leads, his official declaration has reignited debate about his age, health, and capacity to govern.
In recent months, cracks have emerged within Biya’s camp. Longtime supporters have distanced themselves, and two key allies have announced their own presidential ambitions.
Employment Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary resigned from government in June to contest the election under the banner of his party, the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC).
Similarly, former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, a close ally of Biya for nearly 30 years, said he would also run, representing the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP).
Both FSNC and NUDP were formerly allied with Biya’s CPDM, which has held power since Cameroon gained independence in 1960.
Other declared contenders include Maurice Kamto, Biya’s main challenger in the 2018 elections, and Cabral Libii, a prominent opposition figure and presidential hopeful from the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (CPNR).
Candidates have until July 21 to formally declare their intention to contest.
Despite rising dissatisfaction with the government, the opposition remains fragmented and has failed to unite behind a single candidate. Public frustrations continue to mount over youth unemployment, rising living costs, poor infrastructure, and sporadic violence, particularly in the English-speaking regions of the predominantly Francophone country.
Should Biya win another term, he could remain in power until he is nearly 100 years old, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in modern history.