By Fémí Emmanuel
In what many observers describe as a political déjà vu, Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, has once again claimed victory in the country’s presidential election held on October 12, 2025. Official results announced by the electoral commission declared Biya the winner with 53.66 percent of the vote, granting him an eighth consecutive term in office.
To his supporters, the outcome was a triumph of experience and continuity. But to a growing number of disillusioned Cameroonians, it was a brazen display of manipulation—an election marred by rigging, voter intimidation, and institutional compromise.
Almost immediately after the results were declared, angry protesters poured into the streets of Yaoundé, Douala, and Bamenda, denouncing what they called “the theft of democracy.” Their message was clear: Paul Biya has not won an election; he has imposed himself again.
Paul Biya’s hold on Cameroon is as old as the democratic era itself. Coming to power in 1982, Biya has ruled for over four decades, making him one of the world’s longest-serving presidents. His rule has been marked by constitutional manipulation, political repression, and electoral fraud—a cocktail that has kept him firmly in control.
In 2008, Biya pushed through a constitutional amendment removing presidential term limits, effectively giving himself legal room to rule indefinitely. The move was met with protests that were swiftly crushed by security forces. Hundreds were arrested, and dozens reportedly killed.
Analysts often describe Biya’s political strategy as one of “governing by absence and fear”—staying aloof from public life while wielding total control through loyalists, patronage, and a highly centralized bureaucracy. His opponents claim that the president’s greatest political skill lies not in leadership but in survival.
Paul Biya’s story mirrors a disturbing trend across the African continent: the addiction to power that has crippled genuine democracy in many nations. From Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang to Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and Zimbabwe’s late Robert Mugabe, the narrative remains eerily familiar—leaders who refuse to relinquish power, treating the presidency as an inheritance rather than a trust.
This entrenched covetousness and selfishness has made Africa a theater of recurring coups and political instability. When leaders manipulate constitutions and institutions to serve personal ambitions, they leave behind a trail of resentment, repression, and eventually rebellion. Military takeovers, though condemnable, often find justification in the arrogance of civilian autocrats who see themselves as irreplaceable.
The irony is painful: in the name of “democracy,” leaders like Biya have eroded every democratic value—muzzling the media, suppressing dissent, and crippling the opposition.
Under Biya’s rule, Cameroon has witnessed a steady decline in governance. Unemployment remains high, the Anglophone crisis continues to claim lives, and corruption festers at every level of public service. While the country’s infrastructure stagnates, its political elite thrives.
The president himself, now in his 90s, reportedly spends long stretches of time in Geneva, far from the realities faced by ordinary Cameroonians. Critics argue that the country is now governed by a shadow presidency, where loyal ministers and security chiefs run the show in Biya’s name.
For many Cameroonians, this endless leadership has become more of a national burden than a blessing. “We are tired of being ruled by a man who lives abroad,” a protester in Douala told local reporters. “Cameroon is not his personal property.”
The tragedy of Biya’s continued stay in power goes beyond Cameroon—it reflects a moral crisis in African leadership. Too many African presidents have failed to understand that leadership is a service, not a possession. Instead of building institutions, they build empires; instead of nurturing successors, they eliminate rivals.
True leadership is measured not by how long one stays in office, but by what one leaves behind. Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania remain shining examples of this truth—leaders who chose dignity over dominance, service over selfishness.
It is this absence of selflessness that continues to haunt Africa’s political landscape. Until leaders like Paul Biya learn to walk away when their time is up, democracy on the continent will remain fragile and freedom elusive.
Cameroon’s recent election is not just another political event—it is a mirror reflecting the deeper democratic fatigue of a nation trapped under the weight of one man’s ambition. For the continent to move forward, it must confront this recurring disease of power obsession that has robbed Africa of its future.
The presidency must never be a do-or-die affair, nor should it be reduced to the privilege of the powerful. It should be seen as a divine responsibility—a sacred trust to serve, build, and leave behind a legacy that uplifts the people.
Until that lesson is learned, Paul Biya’s Cameroon will remain a cautionary tale of how greed and fear can hold a nation hostage for generations.
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