Cameroon Sets October 12 for Presidential Election 

Cameroon will hold its presidential election on October 12, according to a decree issued by President Paul Biya on Friday.

Biya — the de facto candidate of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), of which he is the party leader — has neither confirmed nor denied whether he intends to seek an eighth term in office.

Now 92, Biya has ruled the Central African nation with an iron grip for nearly 43 years. However, recent political shifts suggest that some of his long-standing allies may be stepping away.

In recent weeks, there have been two high-profile defections from Biya’s inner circle. Employment Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary resigned in June to contest the election under the banner of his own party, the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC). Former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, a loyal ally for nearly three decades, also announced his candidacy, standing on the platform of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP).

Both the FSNC and the NUDP have historically been key allies of Biya’s ruling CPDM, which has held power since Cameroon gained independence in 1960.

Despite growing dissent within his ranks, the opposition remains fragmented and has yet to unite behind a single candidate. Among the prominent challengers are Maurice Kamto, Biya’s fiercest critic who finished second in the 2018 presidential race, and Cabral Libii, a vocal opposition figure representing the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (CPNR).

According to the electoral calendar, all candidates must formally declare their intention to run by July 21.