Cameroon Opposition Candidate Tchiroma Declares Victory Amid Tension

Cameroon’s opposition challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has declared himself the winner of the country’s presidential election, challenging incumbent President Paul Biya, who has ruled for 43 years. Official results from the vote, held over the weekend, are not expected for another two weeks.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Tchiroma said, “Our victory is clear. It must be respected.” He urged the government to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or risk “plung[ing] the country into turmoil,” and pledged to release detailed regional results to support his claim.

Under Cameroonian law, while tally sheets can be made public, the final results must be certified by the Constitutional Council—a process the government has described as a “red line that must not be crossed.”

This is not the first time an opposition candidate has claimed victory before official results. In the 2018 election, Maurice Kamto declared himself the winner the day after the vote. He was later arrested, and police dispersed his supporters’ rallies using tear gas and water cannons, with dozens more detained.

Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is seeking an unprecedented eighth term. Tchiroma, a former employment minister who resigned in June after 20 years in Biya’s government, emerged as a significant challenger, especially after Kamto was barred from running by the Constitutional Council.

Images of tally sheets and blackboards circulating on social media have fueled claims of victory from both Tchiroma’s and Biya’s camps, highlighting growing tension ahead of the official announcement.

Political observers have noted the campaign has been unusually lively in its final days, raising the possibility of surprises. Cameroonian political scientist Stephane Akoa told AFP before the vote, “We shouldn’t be naive. The ruling system has ample means at its disposal to get results in its favour,” but added that the energized campaign could influence outcomes.

Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982, maintaining power through centralized control, political repression, and navigating economic and separatist challenges. For many of the nation’s eight million eligible voters, Biya has been the only president they have ever known.