Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, aged 92, has declared his candidacy for an eighth term in the upcoming October 12, 2025, presidential election, seeking to extend his nearly 43-year tenure as the country’s leader. The announcement was made on Sunday via a bilingual post on X in French and English, where Biya stated, “I am a candidate for the 12 October 2025 presidential election. Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us. Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet. The best is still to come.”

As the leader of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), which has held power since Cameroon’s independence in 1960, Biya was already the party’s de facto candidate. However, his advanced age has sparked debates about his health and capacity to govern, with public discontent growing over issues such as rampant youth unemployment, rising prices, and inadequate public services.

Biya’s announcement comes amid signs of fracturing support within his political base. In recent months, two high-profile defections have shaken his camp. Employment Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary resigned in June to run for president under his Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC), while former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, a nearly 30-year ally of Biya, declared his candidacy for the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP). Both parties had been long-standing allies of the CPDM.

The opposition remains deeply divided, struggling to unite behind a single candidate despite widespread criticism of the government. Notable contenders include Maurice Kamto, who placed second in the 2018 presidential election and is Biya’s fiercest critic, and Cabral Libii of the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (CPNR). Candidates have until July 21 to formally declare their intent to run.

Cameroon continues to face significant challenges, including sporadic violence from separatists in the English-speaking regions of the predominantly francophone nation, compounding public frustration with economic and social issues. As the election approaches, the political landscape remains fraught with tension and uncertainty.