Presidential election in Cameroon: Paul Biya declared winner, Issa Tchiroma contests the results
Political tensions remain high in Yaoundé. Following the presidential election of October 12, 2025, the National Commission for the Tallying of Votes announced the victory of outgoing president Paul Biya, credited with a score ranging between 53 and 54% of the votes cast.
Paul Biya au palais présidentiel de Yaoundé, le 26 juillet 2022. © Ludovic MARIN _ AFP
But the announcement of this provisional result has not met with unanimous agreement. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the regime’s main opponent, immediately rejected the official figures, calling them “inaccurate” and a “blatant manipulation of the popular will.”
According to him, his team has official records showing a lead of more than 60% in his favor.
In a statement made public on Monday evening, Issa Tchiroma demanded total transparency in the vote counting and urged President Biya to “show magnanimity by acknowledging the truth of the vote.”
He also called on his supporters to remain calm, while continuing to put pressure on the institutions responsible for electoral disputes.
On the side of the authorities, no official comment has yet been made, but several senior figures from the ruling party, the RDPC, hailed a “clear and indisputable” victory, stating that “the Cameroonian people have chosen stability.”
The final word now belongs to the Constitutional Council, the only body authorized to proclaim the definitive results. The institution has a few days to examine any appeals and to confirm or reject President Biya’s victory, who is 92 years old and has been in power since 1982.