Cameroon’s opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has declared victory in the October 12 presidential election. He urged President Paul Biya to accept defeat after more than 40 years in power.
“Our victory is clear and must be respected,” Tchiroma said in a Facebook video on Tuesday. He called on Biya to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or risk “plunging the country into turmoil.”
Elections Cameroon and the Constitutional Council have not yet released official results. Authorities are expected to announce them by October 26.
The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) quickly dismissed Tchiroma’s claim. Gregoire Owona, the party’s deputy secretary-general, said the opposition “does not have the polling data” and “did not win.”
Tchiroma said he would publish a regional breakdown of votes in the coming days. But the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, warned that any unauthorized release of results amounts to “high treason.” Only the Constitutional Council can declare the winner.
The 76-year-old opposition figure once served under Biya as government spokesperson and employment minister. He resigned last year to run for president. His campaign drew large crowds and support from opposition coalitions and civic groups.
Many analysts still predict another Biya victory. They point to a divided opposition and the exclusion of Biya’s main rival in August. Eleven candidates contested the October 12 election.
At 92, Biya remains the world’s oldest president. He has ruled Cameroon since 1982, making him the country’s second leader since independence from France in 1960. His long tenure has faced criticism over corruption, slow development, and separatist unrest in the west.
About eight million citizens were eligible to vote in the single-round election. The candidate with the most votes automatically becomes president.
In 2018, opposition leader Maurice Kamto also claimed victory before results were announced. Authorities later arrested him after protests broke out. Biya eventually won with more than 70% of the vote amid reports of fraud and low turnout.
