Cameroon Decides 2025
Profile: President Paul Biya
As Cameroon braces for the October 2025 presidential election, all eyes inevitably turn to the country’s sitting president Paul Biya who is the longest-serving non-royal head of state in the world today. For over four decades, Paul Biya has stood at the helm of Cameroon's political affairs, navigating the nation through moments of unity, crisis, and controversy.
Paul Biya, President of Cameroon
Born in the village of Mvomeka’a in the South Region of Cameroon, Paul Biya’s ascent to power is rooted in the corridors of Cameroon’s post independence bureaucracy. Trained in public law in France, Biya began his political career in the 1960s under President Ahmadou Ahidjo, holding several high-ranking posts, including Secretary General of the Presidency and Prime Minister. When Ahidjo unexpectedly resigned in 1982, Biya was constitutionally next in line and assumed the presidency on 6 November 1982.
Though initially seen as a loyal protégé, Biya quickly consolidated power. A rift with Ahidjo deepened in 1983, and a year later, Biya survived a violent coup attempt, emerging with more centralised control. In 1985, the ruling Cameroon National Union was renamed the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), solidifying Biya's grip on the political machinery.
Since Cameroon’s transition to multiparty politics in the early 1990s, Paul Biya has won every presidential election beginning in 1992, 1997, 2004, 2011, and 2018 often by large margins. Each of these victories has been mired in allegations of widespread fraud, voter intimidation, and suppression of dissent. In 2008, constitutional reforms removed term limits, allowing Paul Biya, then already 75, to continue seeking re-election indefinitely. His 2011 and 2018 victories were again disputed by opposition parties and foreign observers alike.
Paul Biya, President of Cameroon
Despite periodic unrest including deadly riots in 2008 and ongoing conflict in the Anglophone regions since 2016, Paul Biya has managed to maintain firm control, often ruling by decree and rarely appearing in public. His government has been criticised for clamping down on press freedom, civil society, and political opponents.
The leadership of Paul Biya is defined by a series of contradictions. While he has at times called for democratic reform and national unity, critics point to the heavily centralised and opaque nature of his governance. Though he presents himself as a symbol of stability, his absence from the public eye — often staying for extended periods out of the country — has raised persistent concerns about his health and the succession plan for the country.
Domestically, the President has overseen economic liberalisation policies guided by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, though results have been mixed. Structural adjustments in the 1990s led to deep salary cuts and the ballooning of the informal sector. More recently, his regime has focused on infrastructure projects and regional security cooperation, particularly in the fight against Boko Haram in the Far North.
As Paul Biya, now 92, approaches the end of his seventh term, speculation about succession looms larger than ever. His son, Franck Biya, long shielded from the public eye, has emerged as a possible successor, though no formal announcement has been made. Meanwhile, internal rifts within the ruling CPDM and rising youth discontent suggest a changing political landscape.
His daughter, Brenda Biya, made international headlines in 2024 after publicly revealing a same-sex relationship, a bold move in a country with strict anti-LGBT laws. Though she later deleted the post, her visibility has only increased attention on the private life of Cameroon’s first family.
As the country heads toward the 2025 elections, several key questions remain: Will President Biya run again? If not, who within the CPDM will take the mantle? Can the opposition, fractured and often repressed, unite around a viable challenger? And will the elections be transparent and credible enough to reassure a population fatigued by decades of one-man rule?
For many Cameroonians, Paul Biya's presidency has come to symbolise both continuity and stagnation — a relic of an era that refuses to pass. As Cameroon Decides 2025, the nation's future and its democratic credibility hang in the balance.
Factbox: Paul Biya at a Glance
- Date of Birth: 13 February 1933
- Place of Birth: Mvomeka’a, South Region
- Education: Lycée Louis-le-Grand (France), Institut des Hautes Études d’Outre-Mer
- Assumed Presidency: 6 November 1982
- Political Party: Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM)
- Number of Presidential Terms: Seven
- Spouse: Chantal Biya
- Children: Three (including Franck and Brenda Biya)