Security forces in Cameroon have fired tear gas and detained protesters in the capital, Yaounde, and the northern city of Garoua after partial election results suggested that 92-year-old President Paul Biya is on track to secure another term in office.
Demonstrations broke out across the country amid claims of electoral fraud and tensions over early vote counts, even though official results have yet to be confirmed by the constitutional council.
Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji said more than 20 people were arrested in Garoua on Tuesday as unrest spread.
Local media reports indicate Biya, who has ruled for 43 years, currently leads with 53.66 percent of the vote, ahead of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has declared himself the winner with 35.1 percent. Tchiroma, a longtime political figure and former government minister, urged Biya to concede, calling the opposition’s victory “clear.”
The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement dismissed Tchiroma’s declaration as an attempt to undermine the electoral process. Biya’s potential re-election would extend his tenure as one of the world’s oldest and longest-serving leaders, second only to Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema. The final results of the October 12 election are expected to be announced by October 26, pending validation by the constitutional council.
This is the only thing that can save Cameroon from total disaster. The people MUST take back their country from these evil criminals. If we don’t now, our borders are already allegedly open for foreign fighters to come & fight for us, that would be fatal.
pic.twitter.com/muYqVVqArK— Cameroon – Africa (@Cameroon_Com) October 21, 2025
Nothing to see here then. Good ole democracy at work, yet again.