Cameroon Bars Main Challenger to Longtime Leader from Presidential Race

Exclusion of Maurice Kamto, President Paul Biya’s main rival, has fuels fears of unrest in the West African nation.

Maurice Kamto (R), newly nominated by African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) as its presidential candidate, greets supporters after a press conference in Yaounde, Cameroon on July 19, 2025.

26 Jul 2025

Cameroon‘s electoral commission has rejected the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, President Paul Biya’s main rival, in an upcoming presidential election, fuelling fears of unrest and increasing the likelihood of another win for the incumbent, who has led for decades.

The chief of the electoral commission, ELECAM, announced the decision in a news conference on Saturday when he read out a list of 13 approved candidates, which did not include Kamto. No reasons were given for the exclusion, and those not listed have two days to appeal the decision.

Kamto, 71, who had officially submitted his candidacy last week, was considered Biya’s strongest rival in past elections. He came second during the last presidential election in 2018 with 14 percent of the vote, while Biya, who appears on the electoral list, cruised to victory with more than 70 percent in an election marred by allegations of fraud and a low voter turnout.

Kamto sought to run as the candidate for the communist African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) party. In the 2018 election, Kamto stood for his own party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), which he established in 2012.

For this year’s election, Kamto had been nominated by MANIDEM.

Fears of protests and unrest surged around Saturday’s release of the list of approved candidates. Eighty-three names had been put forward to the electoral council.

Security forces were deployed around the ELECAM headquarters and along major roads in the capital, Yaounde, and in Douala, the economic hub.

The United Nations Department of Safety and Security had warned on Friday that the announcement could trigger protests in the capital.

The definitive list of candidates will be announced in the coming days after any challenges to the provisional list are considered.

Biya, 92, the world’s oldest serving head of state, said last month he would seek re-election on October 12 despite rumours that his health is failing. He has been in power since 1982, nearly half his lifetime.

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Biya’s rule has left a lasting impact on Cameroon. His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a deadly secessionist conflict in the nation’s English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school.

Among the candidates also approved to run in the election are former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, an ally of Biya’s for nearly 30 years, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who resigned as employment minister in early June to submit his candidacy.

Source: News Agencies