Cameroon’s long-serving president,Paul Biya,faces a high-stakes legal challenge as opposition candidate and veteran lawyer Akere Muna petitions the Constitutional Council to block his bid for an eighth term ahead of the 12 October election.
At 92,Biya has held power since 1982,making him one of the world’s oldest and longest-serving leaders. Muna’s challenge cites Article 118 of the electoral code,which bars individuals who find themselves in a state of dependency on another person,organization,or foreign power from running for office. He argues that Biya’s declining public presence,recurring health issues,and reliance on ministers for key duties signal diminished capacity to govern. “Paul Biya reigns,but does not govern,” Muna concluded. “At 92 years old,invisible to the public,is he truly able to lead for another mandate?”
The Council is set to rule on Friday (22 August) at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé. Despite doubts over the court’s independence,the move has ignited public debate over Biya’s fitness to lead. The controversy deepens amid growing concerns about electoral fairness. The Council recently upheld the exclusion of opposition figure Maurice Kamto from the race,prompting condemnation from Human Rights Watch and tear-gas-filled protests. Though Muna’s legal victory appears unlikely,his challenge confronts a long-avoided national question: Should Biya continue to lead,or is his rule a relic of a past era now overdue for change?
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