Cynthia Ezegwu
Cameroon’s opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, on Tuesday declared himself the winner of Sunday’s presidential election, challenging President Paul Biya’s decades-long rule, even as official results are not expected for another two weeks.
Tchiroma, a former employment minister, made the announcement in a Facebook post, asserting that “our victory is clear” and calling on the government to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or risk plunging the country into unrest.
“The people have chosen,” Tchiroma said, promising to publish detailed regional results to back his claim.
Under Cameroonian law, while tally sheets may be made public, only the Constitutional Council is authorized to announce final results — a rule government officials have warned must not be violated.
The declaration has drawn parallels to the 2018 election, when opposition leader Maurice Kamto similarly proclaimed victory ahead of official results. Kamto was later arrested, and security forces violently dispersed opposition protests, arresting dozens of his supporters.
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Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for 43 years and is the world’s oldest serving head of state, is seeking yet another term in office.
Tchiroma’s campaign, however, has generated unexpected momentum, particularly among younger voters disillusioned with Biya’s long tenure.
Reports from local observers suggest that both Biya’s and Tchiroma’s supporters have circulated images of tally sheets and blackboards showing differing vote counts, each side claiming victory as tensions build ahead of the Constitutional Council’s official announcement.