Paul Biya declares candidacy for eighth term, sparks online storm
Cameroon Decides 2025
In a much-anticipated announcement, President Paul Biya has declared his candidacy for the 12 October 2025 Presidential Election, extending his decades-long tenure and setting the stage for a historic political contest.
The 92-year-old made the declaration via a statement posted to his official social media platforms on Sunday 13 July 2025. The message, accompanied by a confident portrait and the phrase “I am a candidate”, sparked an online storm. In less than an hour, the post attracted more than 7,000 comments, reflecting the national and international attention the declaration has generated.
“Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us,” Biya wrote. “The best is still to come.”
Biya framed his decision as a response to “numerous and insistent calls from the ten regions of our country and from the diaspora,” asserting that his mission is not yet complete.
“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. The results are palpable, visible and laudable,” he stated.
Still, Biya acknowledged that “much remains to be done” amid what he described as an increasingly difficult international environment.
In his declaration, the head of state placed youth and women at the centre of his agenda, promising:
“The well-being of our youth and women will be at the heart of my priorities. Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet.”
First assuming the presidency on 6 November 1982, Biya is already Africa’s longest-serving head of state (excluding monarchs). He has ruled for over 42 years through a mix of constitutional amendments, dominant party control, and disputed elections.
A key turning point came in 2008, when Biya abolished presidential term limits, allowing indefinite re-election. His seventh term, which began in 2018, was marked by conflict in the Anglophone regions, economic pressure, and questions surrounding his health and long stays abroad.
As Cameroon prepares for the polls, the stakes have never been higher. Youth frustration, rising poverty, separatist tensions, and calls for electoral transparency threaten to undermine confidence in the upcoming vote.
Still, Biya remains determined.
“In such a situation, I cannot shirk my mission,” he wrote.
Whether that mission resonates with a new generation of Cameroonians—or fuels further disillusionment—will become clearer as the campaign unfolds.