Cameroon Sets February 7 for Long-Delayed Legislative and Local Elections

President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest sitting leader, has set February 7 for Cameroon’s overdue legislative and municipal polls.

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has scheduled legislative and local elections for February 7 of next year, according to an official decree.

The 93-year-old leader announced the date in a decree broadcast on state radio on Monday.

The announcement comes amid heightened political tension, following a crackdown on opposition figures roughly one year after a vote that secured Biya another term in office.

Biya has governed Cameroon since 1982 and is the world’s oldest head of state.

His re-election last October triggered widespread demonstrations, which security forces dispersed with considerable violence.

Attorneys cited by Human Rights Watch reported that security personnel detained as many as 2,000 individuals, with several still held in custody, AFP reported.

Authorities have already delayed the legislative and municipal elections on two occasions, extending lawmakers’ terms to December 20 and municipal council terms to February 28, 2027.

The government is also expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle and appoint a vice president, a position reintroduced by constitutional amendment in April. The officeholder would be next in line to succeed Biya upon his death.

Speculation regarding the president’s health persists, particularly given his frequent trips abroad. Public discussion of his health has been prohibited since 2024, after death rumors circulated.

Biya returned to Yaounde in late August after spending more than two months in Geneva, prompting strong criticism from opposition parties.

Last month, officials suspended the Cameroon National Salvation Front (FSNC), the party led by defeated presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

Bakary fled to the Gambia after proclaiming himself the election winner and urging supporters to defend his claimed “victory.”

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