YAOUNDE, Cameroon – Campaigning for Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election begins Saturday under a cloud of uncertainty, with the country’s longtime leader and lead candidate, Paul Biya, absent from the political stage.
The 92-year-old president — the world’s oldest head of state and in power since 1982 — left the country last Sunday for what his office described only as a “private trip to Europe.”
Diplomatic sources said Biya travelled to Geneva, a favourite destination where he has spent significant time over the years.
His absence has left many Cameroonians questioning whether the veteran leader, now seeking an eighth term, is fit to continue in office.
The trip comes just a week after Biya’s daughter, Brenda, shocked the nation by posting — then retracting — a TikTok video urging voters not to re-elect her father.
Biya was also notably missing from the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, where he was represented by his foreign minister.
Health and succession questions
Analysts say Biya’s increasingly rare public appearances have fueled speculation over his health.
A weeks-long stay in Switzerland last year even triggered rumours of his death, forcing the government to issue reassurances.
“The more he stays out of the public eye, the more he maintains the illusion that he is mentally and physically suited for the office,” said David Kiwuwa, head of the School of International Studies at the University of Nottingham’s China campus.
Arrey Elvis Ntui, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, added: “Initially, there were rumours that the president himself was not very motivated to run again, and that his aides pushed him to do so.”
Despite such doubts, Biya remains the frontrunner in the race against 11 other candidates, largely due to a fractured opposition that has struggled for decades to unite behind a single challenger.
Family drama and public anger
The election campaign has also been overshadowed by the embarrassment caused by Brenda Biya’s outburst.
In her follow-up post, she apologised, saying: “I know nothing about politics. Don’t follow my advice.”
Her remarks, however, have added to a swirl of criticism already facing the president.
A 2018 investigative report found Biya had spent nearly 4.5 years of his rule abroad, much of it in Switzerland, at an estimated cost of $65 million to taxpayers.
This week, Cameroonian diaspora groups in Europe organised protests in Geneva, accusing the president of enjoying lavish stays while citizens back home grapple with poverty, poor healthcare and unreliable electricity.
“We want to chase Paul Biya out of Europe and send him back to Cameroon,” said Diosky Moresmo, a spokesperson for a diaspora association in Belgium. “How can he rest peacefully in Geneva, at taxpayers’ expense, while his people suffer?”
According to the World Bank, nearly one in four Cameroonians lives below the poverty line.
Campaign without the candidate
The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC) is expected to hold a rally on Sunday in Maroua, in the country’s north. It remains unclear whether Biya himself will appear at any campaign events.
Biya announced his candidacy in July via X, but has not directly addressed the nation since.
His silence, critics say, reflects a presidency increasingly detached from the realities facing ordinary Cameroonians.
With the opposition divided and the incumbent absent, Cameroonians now face an election where the central question may be less about who wins — and more about how long Biya can continue to govern.
