Yaoundé, Cameroon – October 14, 2025 – In a dramatic escalation following Sunday’s presidential election, opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the victor, urging incumbent President Paul Biya to concede and avert national unrest. The 76-year-old challenger, a former government minister who defected from Biya’s inner circle earlier this year, made the announcement in a nearly five-minute video posted on Facebook from his northern hometown of Garoua. “Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma proclaimed, his voice steady amid cheers from supporters. “The people have chosen, and this choice must be honored. Accept the truth of the ballot box, or plunge the country into turmoil.”
Tchiroma, representing the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC), promised to release detailed regional tallies in the coming days, claiming his campaign’s nationwide monitoring network had compiled irrefutable evidence of his triumph. Early unofficial results circulating on social media and reported by local outlets like Cameroon Concord suggest Tchiroma leading in key regions, including the Far North, North, Adamawa, West, and Littoral—areas that have historically bolstered Biya’s margins. In one striking example from Buea in the Southwest Region, FSNC tallies showed Tchiroma securing 165 votes against Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) at just 17 across five polling stations. Diaspora votes from China, Kenya, the UAE, Switzerland, and South Africa also reportedly favored Tchiroma, mirroring a domestic surge that has electrified opposition ranks.
This audacious claim comes just two days after polls closed on October 12, with official results not due until at least October 26, when the Constitutional Council is mandated to validate the outcome. Cameroon’s electoral law permits candidates to publish and post results from individual polling stations—sheets that Tchiroma says his teams vigilantly guarded late into election night. However, the government has drawn a firm line: only the Council holds authority to proclaim a winner. Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji recently warned that any premature declaration constitutes “high treason,” echoing crackdowns after the 2018 vote where opposition leader Maurice Kamto’s similar assertion led to his arrest and violent dispersals of protests.
Biya’s CPDM swiftly dismissed Tchiroma’s statement as a “grotesque hoax,” insisting the election unfolded calmly under international observation. The 92-year-old president, the world’s longest-serving and oldest head of state, cast his ballot in Yaoundé alongside his wife, Chantal, praising voters’ “maturity” in initial remarks. Seeking an eighth term that would extend his rule—already spanning 43 years since 1982—Biya’s low-key campaign focused on promises to combat youth unemployment, bolster infrastructure, and enhance security amid ongoing crises. Yet, his prolonged absences, including a recent stint in Switzerland, have fueled speculation about his health and capacity, with critics decrying a regime mired in corruption and stagnation.
The election, pitting Biya against 12 challengers in a single-round format where the top vote-getter prevails, unfolded against a backdrop of deep divisions. Over 8 million of Cameroon’s 30 million citizens were eligible to vote, though turnout figures remain unconfirmed amid reports of intimidation and logistical hurdles. In the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions, where a separatist insurgency has claimed over 6,000 lives since 2016, voting was disrupted by ghost towns, school closures, and armed clashes. Boko Haram attacks in the Far North further hampered access, underscoring the fragility of a nation fractured by ethnic, linguistic, and economic fault lines.
Tchiroma’s rise as the opposition’s standard-bearer marks a seismic shift. Once a loyalist—serving as communications minister and government spokesman for two decades—he resigned in June 2025, citing disillusionment with Biya’s “stifling” leadership. His defection, alongside that of former minister Bello Bouba Maïgari, eroded Biya’s northern base, a traditional stronghold. Backed by the Union for Change coalition—encompassing over 50 parties and civic groups—Tchiroma’s rallies drew unprecedented crowds, blending fiery rhetoric on democratic renewal with endorsements from barred rivals like Maurice Kamto, whose Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC) was disqualified for boycotting 2020 legislative polls.
Kamto’s 2018 bid, where he garnered 17% amid fraud allegations, set a precedent for post-election turmoil: his self-proclaimed win triggered mass arrests, tear gas deployments, and international condemnation. Tchiroma, invoking that history, praised voters for “defying intimidation” and staying vigilant at polls. “This is a sanction against 43 years of mismanagement,” he declared, vowing a “new era” of accountability. Rival candidates, including Hermine Patricia Tomaïno Ndam Njoya—the lone female contender—have reportedly extended congratulations, signaling rare opposition unity.
Yet, Biya’s machine remains formidable. The CPDM dominates parliament, controls Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), and wields vast resources. Analysts like Francois Conradie of Oxford Economics predict Biya’s “electoral machine” will prevail, dividing foes and leveraging incumbency. A 2008 constitutional tweak abolished term limits, paving Biya’s path, while a petition to disqualify him on health grounds was dismissed. His daughter, Brenda Biya, even urged voters via social media to reject his bid, highlighting familial rifts.
Cameroon’s woes amplify the stakes. Resource-rich in oil, cocoa, and timber, it grapples with 33% poverty, rampant youth joblessness, and inflation spiking fuel and food prices. The Anglophone crisis, born from 2016 protests over centralization, has displaced 700,000 and killed thousands, with Biya’s military response drawing UN rebukes. Boko Haram’s incursions have killed hundreds more. Economically, growth hovers at 3-4% annually, but inequality festers, with one-third living below $2 daily. Tchiroma pledges decentralization, anti-corruption drives, and peace dialogues; Biya counters with continuity and “the best yet to come.”
Social media buzzes with unverified tallies and defiance. Posts from Buea and Garoua show Tchiroma’s sweeps, while CPDM loyalists flood timelines with Biya endorsements. In Yaoundé and Douala, young protesters clashed with forces post-polls, hurling stones over alleged manipulations. “We’re tired of the same old script,” tweeted activist @KennedyWandera_, echoing youth disillusionment in a median-age-18 nation.
Internationally, eyes are on Yaoundé. The African Union and Commonwealth observers noted “generally peaceful” voting but flagged irregularities like delayed materials and voter suppression. France, Cameroon’s ex-colonial power, urged transparency; the U.S. echoed calls for respect of the “popular will.” A Tchiroma win could ripple across Africa, challenging octogenarian leaders in Equatorial Guinea and Togo. But a contested outcome risks escalation, with rights groups warning of “preemptive arrests.”
As tension simmers, Tchiroma’s gambit tests Cameroon’s democratic sinews. “I’m waiting for Paul Biya to call and congratulate me,” he quipped in the video, a nod to maturity he implores. Biya, ensconced in Etoudi Palace, has yet to respond publicly. With the Council’s clock ticking, the ballot box’s truth hangs in the balance—potentially heralding renewal or reigniting old flames.
This saga unfolds in a nation at crossroads: Biya’s era, marked by stability amid repression, versus Tchiroma’s vision of inclusive governance. From Garoua’s dusty streets to Yaoundé’s bustling markets, Cameroonians whisper of change. Whether it materializes depends on institutions long accused of fealty to one man. As unofficial counts proliferate—showing Tchiroma at 60-70% in strongholds—the wait for October 26 feels interminable. For now, the opposition’s roar echoes: the people have spoken. The question is, will power listen?
