Cameroon opposition leader Tchiroma declares victory over Biya

Cameroon’s former employment minister turned opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, on Tuesday declared victory in the country’s presidential election, challenging long-serving President Paul Biya, even as official results are not expected for another two weeks.

The election, held over the weekend, has set the stage for one of Cameroon’s most consequential political moments in decades. President Biya, aged 92, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is seeking an eighth consecutive term, extending a rule that began in 1982.

Tchiroma, 79, who served in Biya’s cabinet until June before defecting to the opposition, has unexpectedly ignited strong enthusiasm among voters across the Central African nation.

Both camps have since claimed victory, with social media flooded by purported polling tallies scribbled on blackboards and sheets of paper shared from local stations. “Our victory is clear. It must be respected,”

Tchiroma said in a video posted on Facebook, urging the government to “accept the truth of the ballot box” to avoid “plunging the country into turmoil.”

He also pledged to publish region-by-region results in the coming days.

However, under Cameroon’s electoral law, it is illegal for candidates to announce or imply the overall result before the Constitutional Council officially declares it. “This is the red line that must not be crossed,” warned Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji during a Sunday press briefing.

The authorities have yet to release voter turnout figures or specify the exact date the final results will be made public, other than confirming they are expected by October 26.

The prolonged counting process has fuelled public anxiety and allegations of possible rigging in favour of Biya, who has consistently secured more than 70 percent of votes in every election since 2004.

In a similar episode after the 2018 presidential election, opposition figure Maurice Kamto declared himself winner a day after polls closed. He was later arrested, and his supporters’ demonstrations were violently dispersed, leaving several detained, some of whom remain in custody today.