Paul Biya, the world’s oldest sitting president at 92, has been re-elected for a seventh term after securing 53.66% of the vote in Cameroon’s hotly contested presidential election.
The official results were announced by the Constitutional Council today Monday, 27th October, 2025 despite protests and claims of electoral fraud from his main rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary.
Tchiroma, a former government minister, came in second with 35.2% of the vote. Two days after the October 12 election, Tchiroma had declared himself the winner, citing unofficial tallies that gave him a 54.8% share.
His campaign quickly rejected the official results, alleging widespread vote-rigging and calling for protests if the Constitutional Council upheld what he described as “falsified” figures.
The election was marred by violence and unrest. In the aftermath of the vote, four protesters were shot dead in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, during clashes with security forces.
Over 100 others were arrested as protests erupted in several cities, including the capital Yaoundé and the major urban centers of Bafoussam and Garoua.
Tensions have been particularly high in Garoua, Tchiroma’s hometown, where there have been reports of angry youths gathering outside his residence, some carrying crude weapons. Tchiroma himself claimed that security forces had attempted to break into his home in a bid to arrest him.
Biya, who has been in power since 1982, now faces the prospect of governing Cameroon until 2032, effectively extending his 43-year rule.
He is only the second president of the country since it gained independence from France in 1960.
