Cameroon heads to the polls as the world's oldest president bids to extend his rule

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YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Polls opened in Cameroon on Sunday in an election that could see Africa’s oldest leader extend his rule by another 7 years.

Around 8 million voters, including over 34,000 overseas, are registered to participate at more than 31,000 polling stations in the Central African nation. Cameroon had over 29 million people in 2024, and like many sub-Saharan African countries, its population is overwhelmingly young.

Polls are expected to close at 6 p.m., and the results are expected at the latest by Oct. 26.

Analysts have predicted a victory for current President Paul Biya, who first became president in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon's first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, and has ruled the country since then. Biya was declared the winner of seven subsequent elections. Cameroon has seen just two leaders since independence in 1960.

“In the face of increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing,” Biya said in announcing another run. “In such a situation, I cannot shirk my mission.” He did not give details.

If victorious, Biya would be 99 years old by the time his term finishes. His health has routinely been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving day to day governing to key party officials and family members.

Biya faces nine opposition candidates, including some former allies and appointees. They include Bello Bouba Maigari, who was minister for tourism, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who until recently served as the minister of employment.

At his first campaign rally, held last week in the northern city of Maroua, Biya promised change for one of Cameroon’s poorest areas. The predominately Muslim north accounts for nearly 20% of the country’s eligible voters, and Maigari and Bakary command strong followings in the Far North.

The country faces escalating security crises. In the western region, a secessionist war is being fought between mainly English-speaking separatists who claim they are marginalized by the French-speaking majority, and government forces. In the north, the Boko Haram insurgency spills over from neighboring Nigeria, with armed groups routinely attacking border towns.

At least 43% of the country’s citizens live in poverty as measured by core living standards such as income, education and health, according to U.N. estimates.