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The world’s oldest head of state, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, 92, has said he will run once more for re-election in October aiming to extend his 43 years in power.<\/p>\n
“Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face,” he said in a post on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n He added that his decision to go for an eighth term came after “numerous and insistent” calls by people from all regions in Cameroon and the diaspora.<\/p>\n Biya’s administration has faced criticism over corruption, embezzlement, bad governance and failure to tackle security challenges. There have also been concerns about his health and ability to govern.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n His absence from the public for more than six weeks last year led to speculation <\/a>about his well-being and unfounded rumours that he had died.<\/p>\n His candidacy was expected but not formally confirmed until Sunday’s social media post.<\/p>\n Biya has never lost an election since taking power in 1982 and if he wins another seven-year term he could be president until he is nearly 100.<\/p>\n There have been growing calls from inside and outside Cameroon for him to step aside and give way for fresh leadership in the central African nation.<\/p>\n His candidacy follows a recent political divorce from key allies from the northern regions, who had been crucial in helping secure votes in previous elections from that part of the country.<\/p>\n Two of these men – prominent minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari – recently quit the ruling coalition<\/a> and separately announced plans to run in the election.<\/p>\n Last month, Tchiroma said the Biya administration he belonged to had “broken” public trust and he was switching to a rival party.<\/p>\n Multiple opposition figures, including 2018 runner-up Maurice Kamto, as well as Joshua Osih, Akere Muna, and Cabral Libii, have also announced their candidacies.<\/p>\n However, members of the governing Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement and other supporters have since last year publicly called for Biya to seek another term. He was already the de-facto candidate as the party leader.<\/p>\n Biya abolished term limits in 2008, enabling him to seek the presidency indefinitely. <\/p>\n He won the 2018 elections with more than 71% of the vote although opposition groups accused the process of widespread irregularities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n