The 92-year-old President of Cameroon announced on the 13th that he will seek an eighth presidential term in the election to be held in October, extending his 43-year rule.
Biya announced on social media X in both French and English: “I am a candidate in the presidential election on October 12, 2025. Rest assured, my determination to serve you matches the gravity of the challenges we face.”
“There are no challenges that we cannot face together. There are still limitless possibilities in the future.”
Located on the coast of Central and West Africa, Cameroon is a cocoa and oil-producing country, and since gaining independence from French and British rule in the early 1960s, has only had two presidents. On November 6, 1982, President Ahidjo resigned, and then Prime Minister Paul Biya succeeded him as president in accordance with the constitution.
Biya, the leader of the "Cameroon People's Democratic Movement," is effectively the party's candidate. Several longtime supporters of Biya appear to have distanced themselves from him, with two leaving his camp in recent weeks.
However, the opposition is highly fragmented and difficult to unite behind a single candidate.