92-Year-Old Paul Biya Re-Elected as Cameroon’s President, Extending 43-Year Rule

 

Cameroon’s long-serving leader, President Paul Biya, 92, has been officially declared the winner of the 2025 presidential election, securing another seven-year term and extending his more than four decades in power.

The Constitutional Council announced on Monday that Biya received 53.66% of the votes, defeating his main rival, Issa Tchiroma, who garnered 35.19%. The election was held on October 12, but the final results were only confirmed this week.

With this victory, Biya — already the world’s oldest serving head of state — is set to remain in office until 2032, when he will be 99 years old, unless constitutional or political changes occur.

Although Tchiroma enjoyed significant support among diaspora voters, securing 62.79% in Europe, 66.75% in the Americas, and 68.21% in Asia and the Middle East, Biya’s stronghold within Cameroon ensured his overall victory. In Africa, Tchiroma also led the diaspora vote with 54.99%, though officials noted that more than half of eligible voters abroad abstained. The Council clarified that only the total national vote determines the final outcome.

Biya’s re-election comes amid renewed calls for political transition in Cameroon. Critics have long accused his ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) of stifling opposition and manipulating elections, allegations the government denies, maintaining that the poll was free, fair, and transparent.

Announcing the results, Clement Atangana, President of the Constitutional Council, declared:

“Hereby proclaimed President-elect: the candidate Biya Paul.”

Biya first assumed office in 1982 and has since abolished term limits in 2008, allowing him to run indefinitely. His main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesman and minister, broke away from Biya earlier this year to lead a broad opposition coalition, drawing large crowds and notable endorsements.

Biya’s latest victory cements his status as one of the world’s longest-serving leaders, continuing a reign that has shaped Cameroon’s political landscape for over 43 years.