In Cameroon, the National Vote Counting Commission has announced the provisional results of the presidential election: the candidate of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), Paul Biya, is projected to win with 53.66% of the votes, totaling 2,474,179 ballots.
The incumbent president, aged 92 and in power since 1982, thus outpaces all his challengers — an announcement that has set the country ablaze.
Issa Tchiroma Bakary has vehemently rejected these figures. The former minister and candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front claims to have his own tally.
According to his observers, he allegedly secured around 60% of the vote, a considerable discrepancy with the official data. The candidate from the Far North region maintains his stance, insisting that he won the October 12 election.
Two days after the vote, Tchiroma even declared victory on social media, calling on Paul Biya to concede defeat. This premature proclamation came despite warnings from the government. The Minister of Territorial Administration had cautioned that such a statement would be considered high treason. Yet, no sanctions have been imposed on the opposition leader — a silence that raises questions.
Tensions are rising in Garoua, Tchiroma’s stronghold. Hundreds of supporters are preparing to take to the streets in his defense. Security forces have surrounded the former government spokesman’s residence. Once a loyal ally of Biya for two decades, Tchiroma now watches events unfold from home, asserting confidently: “I will not move.”
The election nonetheless marks a turning point in Cameroon’s political history. In June 2025, the former Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, announced his candidacy under the banner of the Cameroon National Salvation Front after resigning as Minister of Employment. His long government career — particularly his tenure as minister between 2009 and 2018 — gives him a certain legitimacy among parts of the electorate. In some districts of Yaoundé, observers have noted that the opposition candidate even won several polling stations — a rare occurrence.
The official proclamation is scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the Yaoundé Congress Hall. In 2018, authorities took fifteen days to declare Paul Biya’s victory with 71.28% of the vote. This time, the delay appears shorter, but uncertainty remains.
About eight million voters participated in this election. Over 55,000 local and international observers, including from the African Union, monitored the voting process. Several civil society platforms independently compiled results to ensure transparency. However, the government has criticized these efforts, accusing them of attempting to manipulate public opinion.
The atmosphere across the country remains tense. Authorities are hesitating between repression and restraint. Some diplomats fear that prolonged unrest could erupt in the northern regions, mirroring the long-standing instability in the Anglophone areas.
The next developments will depend on the Constitutional Council’s announcement and the responses of political actors. Cameroon is holding its breath.
