The world's oldest president seeks an eighth term.

 

Paul Njie

The world's oldest president seeks an eighth term.

Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, announced he will run again in October, aiming to extend his 43-year rule.

"Rest assured, my determination to serve you is commensurate with the urgency of the challenges we face," he said in a post on the X platform.

He added that his decision to run for an eighth term came after "numerous and urgent" calls from people across Cameroon and from his countrymen abroad.

Biya's administration has faced criticism for corruption, embezzlement, mismanagement, and failure to address security challenges. There are also concerns about his health and ability to govern.

His absence from public view for more than six weeks last year led to speculation about his well-being and rumors of his death.

His candidacy was expected, but it had not been officially confirmed until Sunday's social media post.

Biya has not lost an election since taking power in 1982, and if he wins another seven-year term, he could remain president until he is nearly 100 years old.

Calls have been mounting from within and outside Cameroon for him to step down and make way for new leadership in the Central African nation.

His candidacy follows a recent political split with his key northern allies, who played a crucial role in helping secure votes in previous elections in that part of the country.

Two of these allies, prominent minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, recently withdrew from the ruling coalition and separately announced their plans to run in the election.

Last month, Tchiroma told his Biya administration that it had "broken" public trust and that he would move to a rival party.

Several opposition figures have also announced their candidacy, including Maurice Kamto, who came in second in the 2018 election, as well as Joshua Osei, Akiri Muna, and Cabral Lebe.

Despite this, members of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (MPD) and other supporters have publicly called for Biya to run for another term since last year. Biya was already the de facto candidate as party leader.

Birr abolished presidential term limits in 2008, allowing him to run for president indefinitely.

He won the 2018 election with more than 71 percent of the vote, although opposition groups accused the electoral process of widespread irregularities.