The previous presidential elections on 7 October 2018 saw incumbent president Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982, elected for another seven-year term following a 2008 constitutional amendment that removed term limits, allowing Biya to run again.[3] Biya's candidacy remained plausible, however, with his declaration of wanting to continue to serve the nation,[4] reaffirming during his 7 October campaign speech in Maroua that he will "never resign...until significant progress has been achieved in this area."[5] His candidacy for the 2025 presidential election caused controversy within the Cameroonian government,[6] while a petition was filed by opposition candidate Akere Muna before the Constitutional Council seeking to disqualify Biya on grounds of the latter's advanced age, recurrent health absences, and presumed dependency on third parties.[7]
Electoral system
The President of Cameroon is elected by first-past-the-post voting; the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner with no requirement to achieve a majority.[8] Registration for voting ended on 31 August 2024, with more than seven million people estimated to have signed up.[9]
Candidates
A total of 83 people registered their candidacy in the election,[10] of which seven were women.[11] On 26 July, Elections Cameroon (Elecam) released a provisional list of 13 candidates, with Hermine Patricia Tomaïno Ndam Njoya as the only female candidate.[10] Thirty-five appeals were subsequently made by rejected candidates before the Constitutional Council.[12] On 4 August, the Constitutional Council invalidated Hilaire Dzipan's candidacy, leaving 12 candidates on the race.
Paul Biya, aged 92, incumbent president and candidate for the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC).[13] In June 2025, a municipal councilor from the town of Monatélé, Leon Theiller, contacted Élécam, the body responsible for elections, to have this probable candidacy declared illegal.[14] Biya declared his candidacy on 13 July[15] and registered through the RDPC's secretary-general, Jean Nkuete, on 17 July.[16]
Hermine Patricia Tomaïno Ndam Njoya (UDC)[16], aged 56, is the president of the UDC.[17] She announced her candidacy on 21 February 2025 during the press conference of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), of which she is the president. She served as deputy to the National Assembly for Noun for 13 years from 2007–2020.[18] Despite winning in 2020, Tomaïno gave up her seat as a deputy and chose to become municipal councillor and subsequently mayor of Foumban. She was elected Regional Councilor of the Western Region.[19] She is the spokesperson for the Platform of Opposition Leaders for the Revision of the Electoral Code.[20]
Issa Tchiroma, aged 75–76[21] or 79[22] is a former railway engineer and candidate for the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon. Tchiroma was formerly allied with President Biya and has served in multiple ministries in his government between 1992 and 2025, when Tchiroma broke ties with Biya and left the government to join the opposition.[21][16]
Bello Bouba Maigari, aged 78, is another former ally of President Biya. He served in a few ministries in Biya's administration and is currently the Minister of State, Tourism and Leisure. Maigari is a candidate for the National Union for Democracy and Progress. Unlike Tchiroma, Maigari remained in Biya's government.[23][16]
Akere Muna, aged 72, is an international lawyer and candidate for the Univers party.[24] Akere is globally renowned especially in the areas of anti-corruption and good governance and previously a candidate for Now!.[25]
Éric Essono Tsimi[fr], aged 43, is an academic based in New York and a writer. He announced his "civil and civic" candidacy in May 2024 during an interview with journalist Jean-Bruno Tagne on Naja TV. His campaign was carried out under the platform Nous Sommes Le Changement / We Are the Change. Tsimi has also been engaged in negotiations with various political parties, including the FDC and the PAL.[26]
Cabral Libii, aged 45, is a journalist and law professor at University of Yaoundé II. He also served as a member of the National Assembly of Cameroon since 2020. He previously a candidate for the Univers. Libii was a head of Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN).[27][16]
Léon Theiller Onana[fr], aged 38, another member of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) who declares his candidacy.[16]
Disqualified
Maurice Kamto, aged 71, is a retired academic and lawyer, representing the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC). Kamto, who previously ran in the 2018 presidential election, is also supported by the Political Alliance for Reform (APC) and the Front for Change in Cameroon (FCC).[28] Kamto filed his candidacy on 15 July,[29] but was barred from running by the Elecam on 26 July after it said that the MRC, which boycotted legislative and municipal elections in 2020, was therefore ineligible to nominate a candidate.[30]
Campaign
On 18 September 2025, Paul Biya's daughter, Brenda Biya, published a video on social media calling on voters not to elect her father for president. She also accused her family of mistreating her.[31] Brenda subsequently deleted the video and issued an apology.[32]
A week before the election, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said that any unauthorized release of results would be deemed "high treason," saying that only the Constitutional Council can declare a winner.[37] Despite official results not being released yet, Issa Tchiroma declared himself the winner of the election in a speech on social media post on 14 October, and called on president Biya to concede.[38]Grégoire Owona, deputy secretary-general of Biya's RDPC, said that Tchiroma did not win and did not have the polling results.[39] Atanga also accused Tchiroma of plotting "a cleverly planned diabolical plan with his occult networks at home and abroad aimed at setting Cameroon ablaze".[40]
On 15 October, Tchiroma alleged that vote tampering had taken place, while protests broke out in several cities over allegations of electoral fraud, including at the Elecam headquarters in Douala. The offices of the RDPC in Dschang was set on fire.[41] An armed vigil was established by Tchiroma's supporters outside his residence in Garoua.[42] At least 20 protesters were arrested nationwide.[43]
On 19 October, Tchiroma released tallies showing him having won about 60% of the vote. The next day, the National Vote Counting Commission released provisional results showing Paul Biya leading with 53% of the vote, followed by Tchiroma at 35%.[44] The announcement of Biya as the provisional winner set off protests in multiple cities.[citation needed] A teacher died after she was reportedly shot by a police officer during protests in Garoua on 21 October.[45]
On 3 November, a three-day lockdown was launched by Tchiroma in protest against the election result, with Douala, Maroua and Garoua being particularly affected. A partial shutdown also occurred in Yaounde.[46]
The Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, which monitored the election, noted several irregularities during the election, including the relocation of polling stations and failure to update the electoral register, which contained the names of deceased persons.[43]
The Constitutional Council announced the official results of the election on 27 October.[47]
On 6 November, Paul Biya was inaugurated for a new term as president.[48]
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