Cameroon’s opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared victory over longtime President Paul Biya, urging the government to respect the vote ahead of official results.
Cameroon’s opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary on Tuesday declared victory in the presidential election against incumbent Paul Biya, who has ruled the country for 43 years, even as official results are not expected for another two weeks.
“Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma wrote on Facebook, calling on the government to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or risk plunging the nation “into turmoil.” He promised to release detailed results by region, insisting, “The people have chosen.”
While tally sheets may be shared publicly, the government warned that final results can only be declared by the Constitutional Council — a “red line that must not be crossed.”
The move echoes 2018, when opposition leader Maurice Kamto also claimed victory before official announcements, sparking mass arrests.
Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, seeks an eighth term, while images of tally sheets circulating on social media have fueled rival claims of victory.