President Paul Biya, now 92 years old and preparing to seek an eighth term in the October elections, faces a fresh legal hurdle.
Akere Tabeng Muna, a well-known opposition figure and former president of the Cameroon Bar Association, has petitioned the Constitutional Council to block Biya’s candidacy. Muna argues that under Article 118 of the electoral code, Biya is ineligible to run due to his advanced age, frequent health absences, and reliance on others to discharge official duties. He insists this challenge is not political but a matter of protecting the rule of law.
The Council is expected to deliver its ruling this Friday at 11 a.m. at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé.
This legal twist comes just days after the same court upheld the exclusion of Biya’s main challenger, Maurice Kamto, sparking outrage. Human Rights Watch criticized the decision, and police used tear gas to disperse Kamto’s supporters protesting in the streets of the capital.
Biya, who has ruled since 1982, is among the world’s longest-serving and oldest leaders. His campaign has already confirmed his candidacy through social media, despite growing questions over fairness and transparency in the electoral process.
With the court’s decision looming, Cameroonians are bracing for a tense moment that could shape the country’s political future.
