DUALA: Cameroon’s long-serving President, Paul Biya, aged 92, has been officially declared the winner of the 2025 presidential election, securing another seven-year term in office and extending his more than four-decade rule.
The Constitutional Council on Monday confirmed that Biya won with 53.66 percent of the votes, defeating his closest rival, Issa Tchiroma, who garnered 35.19 percent. The election, held on October 12, had its results officially announced more than two weeks later.
Tchiroma, who has been a consistent challenger of Biya’s leadership since the 1990s, rejected the results, claiming victory with 54.8 percent of the vote and alleging widespread irregularities.
He urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across major cities despite a government ban on public demonstrations.
However, tensions escalated on Sunday in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial hub, where clashes erupted between security forces and opposition supporters.
The Littoral Regional Governor, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, confirmed that four people were killed and several security officers injured during the unrest.
Four people unfortunately lost their lives, Diboua said, adding that some protesters allegedly attacked a gendarmerie brigade and two police stations during the confrontation.
Biya’s latest victory extends his 43-year hold on power, having first assumed office in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo.
His new term will be his eighth, further cementing his position as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Despite his advanced age and recurring calls for political transition, Biya continues to maintain a tight grip on power, backed by Cameroon’s ruling party and security establishment.
