A view From Afar
Elections are scheduled for October 11, 2025, a pivotal moment for a country at a crossroads. President Paul Biya, aged 91, is expected to seek a seventh term.
Since assuming office in 1982, he has led Cameroon through decades of stability and profound challenges. Now, as he prepares to run again, questions are mounting: Can a leader who rarely appears in public, speaks minimally, and relies on aides to communicate still guide a nation urgently in need of renewal?
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Cameroon is not just aging — it is divided.
The Anglophone regions of the Northwest and Southwest continue to grapple with the aftermath of eight years of unrest, triggered by grievances over political and linguistic marginalization. Thousands have been killed or displaced. Reconciliation efforts have stalled, and trust in state institutions remains fragile.
Economically, Cameroon possesses significant potential — fertile land, oil, gas, and mineral resources — yet growth remains below population expansion, youth unemployment exceeds 40%, and basic infrastructure — electricity, roads, healthcare — lags behind regional peers. Corruption persists, and public institutions often serve elite interests rather than the broader citizenry.
The political landscape offers limited alternatives. The ruling CPDM controls key institutions — the electoral commission, judiciary, and media — while opposition parties face structural barriers: restricted access to resources, legal hurdles, and sporadic repression. In this environment, elections function more as affirmations of continuity than genuine contests of vision.
Paul Biya’s tenure is the longest in modern African history. Longevity does not inherently equate to effectiveness. As a new generation demands digital inclusion, transparent governance, and inclusive dialogue, the disconnect between leadership and lived reality grows more apparent.
Across Africa, transitions are unfolding — Senegal’s youthful leadership, Gabon’s post-coup reset, Nigeria’s competitive polls — signaling that change is possible without chaos.
Cameroon stands at a quiet but consequential threshold.
Will the October 11 vote reaffirm stability through tradition? Or can it open space — peacefully, deliberately — for a new chapter, one that listens to those who have waited too long?
The ballot will be cast. But the true test lies in whether the nation dares to look beyond its past — and choose a future it can believe in.
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Daniel Makokera is a renowed media personality who has worked as journalist, television anchor, producer and conference presenter for over 20 years.
Throughout his career as presenter and anchor, he has travelled widely across the continent and held exclusive interviews with some of Africa’s most illustrious leaders. These include former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former South African presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He currently is the CEO of Pamuzinda Productions based in South Africa.
