Cameroon’s opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has proclaimed victory in the country’s presidential election — even before official results have been announced — urging President Paul Biya to concede power after more than four decades in office.
In a five-minute address posted to social media on Tuesday morning, Tchiroma declared that “the people have chosen, and this choice must be respected,” calling on Biya to “honour the truth of the ballot box.”
The 92-year-old Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, is seeking another seven-year term, a move that has drawn criticism from reform advocates who see it as a test of the nation’s political endurance.
Tchiroma, once Biya’s government spokesman and close ally, broke ranks earlier this year and mounted a formidable challenge with the backing of a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups. His rallies in recent months drew record crowds, signalling growing public fatigue with Biya’s decades-long rule.
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Despite Tchiroma’s declaration, authorities have warned that only the Constitutional Council can announce official results. Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji reiterated earlier this week that any unilateral publication of results would amount to “high treason.”
Under Cameroonian electoral law, results from individual polling stations can be displayed locally, but only the Constitutional Council — which has until October 26 to deliver the final verdict — can validate and publish the national outcome.
In his video, filmed in his northern hometown of Garoua with the national flag as backdrop, Tchiroma framed the vote as a turning point in Cameroon’s history, saying it “marks the beginning of a new era” and “a clear sanction of failed leadership.”
He also claimed that several rival candidates had already reached out to congratulate him, adding that the military and state institutions must “stay on the side of the republic” and respect the will of the people.
Cameroon’s government has yet to issue an official response to the opposition leader’s declaration.