Cameroon’s 92-Year-Old President Paul Biya Returns to Campaign Trail, Vows Security and Jobs Ahead of October Election

By Naija247news Africa Desk

MAROUA, Cameroon | October 8, 2025 — Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, has staged his first campaign rally in the country’s Far North region as he seeks to extend his 43-year rule in the October 12 presidential election.

Appearing before thousands of ruling party loyalists in Maroua Stadium, Biya promised renewed investment in security, jobs, and infrastructure, pledging to “restore hope” in a region battered by Boko Haram attacks, poverty, and youth unemployment.

“I am well aware of the problems that concern you,” Biya said, addressing the crowd in a rare public appearance. “I know the unfulfilled expectations that make you doubt the future. Based on my experience, I can assure you these problems are not insurmountable.”

Security and Poverty Dominate the Agenda

The Far North region, home to nearly 20% of Cameroon’s 8.2 million registered voters, has long been the epicenter of insurgent attacks and kidnappings by Boko Haram militants crossing from Nigeria. Despite heavy military deployment, many local communities remain impoverished and cut off from basic infrastructure.

The region is also a political battleground. Two opposition leaders — Bello Bouba Maigari and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, both former Biya allies — wield significant influence in this majority-Muslim area, considered one of Cameroon’s poorest zones.

Questions Over Health and Governance

Biya’s campaign outing follows his return from a weeklong stay in Switzerland, where he is widely believed to receive medical treatment. No official explanation was offered for his latest trip.

At 92, Biya has become a symbol of Africa’s aging leadership class, often governing by proxy from his palace in Yaoundé. His rare public appearances and long absences abroad have fuelled public speculation about his capacity to govern a nation of nearly 30 million people.

Over four decades in power, Biya’s rule has been marked by stubborn poverty, deep corruption, and sporadic unrest, particularly from Anglophone separatists in Cameroon’s west. According to UN estimates, at least 43% of Cameroonians live below the poverty line, despite the country’s wealth in oil, timber, and minerals.

Election Outlook: Division, Disillusion, and Dominance

Despite rising criticism, Biya is widely expected to retain power, with opposition ranks fragmented and his most prominent rival, Maurice Kamto, barred from running in August.

Cameroon’s past elections have faced international scrutiny, with reports of irregularities, voter intimidation, and a pro-regime electoral body whose members include former government officials.

In 2008, Biya’s ruling party abolished presidential term limits, clearing the way for his indefinite stay in power — a move that ignited protests but cemented his control.

Africa’s Broader Leadership Question

Biya’s reemergence on the campaign trail underscores a broader crisis of democratic stagnation in parts of Africa, where aging leaders continue to dominate politics despite growing youth populations demanding reform.

Cameroon joins a list of nations — including Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville, and Equatorial Guinea — where political transitions remain uncertain, and public faith in electoral democracy is rapidly eroding.

For many young Cameroonians, the election feels like déjà vu. As one student in Maroua told Naija247news, “Our parents voted for him, and now we are being asked to do the same. But our lives have not changed.”

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Reporting by Naija247news in Lagos, Nigeria.