CAMEROON COURT CLEARS 92-YEAR-OLD PRESIDENT BIYA TO SEEK EIGHTH TERM
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Cameroon’s Constitutional Court on Friday rejected a legal challenge seeking to bar President Paul Biya from contesting the country’s October 12 election, clearing the 92-year-old leader to pursue an unprecedented eighth term.
Biya, the world’s oldest serving president, has ruled Cameroon for nearly 43 years. His advanced age and health have fueled debate over his capacity to govern effectively.
The petition was filed by Akere Muna of the Universe Party, one of 12 candidates vying for the presidency. Muna argued that Biya was unfit to continue in office, citing his reliance on close aides and his wife to carry out official duties.
However, Court President Clement Atangana dismissed the case “on substance, as it is not justified,” after two hours of hearings and a closed-door deliberation.
Speaking after the ruling, Muna, a lawyer and long-time anti-corruption advocate, said he accepted the decision but maintained that questions about Biya’s competence remained. “President Biya reigns but he doesn’t govern,” he said.
Cameroon’s opposition, long fractured and weakened, faces an uphill battle against Biya, whose government has been accused by rights groups of silencing dissent and suppressing political rivals.
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