At 92, Biya seeks to stay in power until 100 — but is this governance or a slow-motion authoritarian entrenchment?
In a world where most democracies value leadership renewal, Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya is once again defying global norms—and expectations—by announcing his candidacy for an eighth presidential term. The announcement, made casually on social media, isn’t just a political statement—it’s a flashing red signal that questions about democracy, accountability, and political succession in Cameroon are being ignored by design.
Biya already holds the dubious distinction of being the world’s oldest serving president and the second-longest continuously serving non-royal leader in the world. If re-elected in October 2025, he’ll likely remain in office until he’s nearly 100. What should be a moment of national reflection on leadership transition is instead turning into a cautionary tale about the risks of power with no expiry date.
Longevity or Stagnation? The Leadership That Never Ends
There’s a tendency to view political longevity as a sign of stability. But in Biya’s case, his uninterrupted grip on power since 1982 paints a more troubling picture. His presidency began under the banner of national unity and economic progress, but decades later, the reality is far more complex—and far less hopeful.
Biya’s long reign has seen frequent public disappearances, vague medical updates, and an increasingly centralized governance model where the real power is believed to lie with his chief of staff and inner circle. His continued leadership, critics argue, feels more like a monarchy than a functioning democracy.
Cameroon’s Democracy on Life Support
The announcement of Biya’s candidacy comes against a backdrop of mounting discontent. Opposition figures have raised concerns about his fitness for office—not just due to age, but because of repeated constitutional manipulations that have allowed him to bypass term limits and eliminate serious challengers.
In 2008, Biya scrapped the two-term limit altogether. Since then, each re-election has been marred by allegations of vote-rigging, media censorship, and systematic repression of dissent. In the 1992 election, he won with over 92% of the vote after the opposition boycotted the polls—an electoral outcome that raised more questions than answers.
When Power Becomes an Institution
What makes Biya’s case particularly striking is how normalized it has become. For many young Cameroonians, he is the only president they have ever known. His face, speeches, and presence are fixtures of their national identity—not out of admiration, but because of sheer endurance.
But power without challenge breeds complacency, and complacency breeds dysfunction. Cameroon today faces serious challenges—from internal conflict in its Anglophone regions to stagnant economic growth and deepening inequality. Yet leadership renewal, a crucial part of democratic vitality, remains stubbornly off the table.
A Global Blind Spot
Biya’s bid for re-election is not just Cameroon’s issue. It also highlights a global failure to address creeping authoritarianism dressed up in electoral legitimacy. Western powers, often quick to condemn undemocratic practices elsewhere, have maintained a largely passive stance toward Biya’s regime. Stability, it seems, is still prized over democratic principle—no matter the cost to civil society.
And this isn’t just about Africa. Biya’s playbook—a mix of legal manipulation, elite consolidation, and public disengagement—is increasingly mirrored in other parts of the world where aging autocrats are refusing to let go, using democratic frameworks to mask authoritarian rule.
Final Thought: A Presidency That’s Outlived Its Purpose
There’s a difference between wisdom and weariness. And while age alone should not disqualify a leader, the absence of genuine political competition, combined with a crumbling institutional framework, raises serious questions about Cameroon’s future.
Biya’s eighth-term ambition may be framed as “dedication to serve,” but it feels more like an unwillingness to relinquish control. At a time when younger generations across Africa are demanding change, participation, and progress, Cameroon seems stuck in reverse—trapped in the echo chamber of one man’s legacy.
Until Cameroon embraces political renewal, it risks becoming less of a republic and more of a relic.