Cameroon Votes Amid Tension as Nation Awaits 2025 Presidential Election Results
Cameroon went to the polls on Sunday, October 12, 2025, for a crucial presidential election that marked the beginning of another tense political season in the Central African nation. Polling stations opened early across all ten regions under heavy security as over 7.8 million registered voters were expected to cast their ballots. The election, closely watched both locally and internationally, featured the long-serving president Paul Biya, 92, who has ruled since 1982, seeking another term in office. Opposition candidates, among them Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Cabral Libii, campaigned vigorously in the weeks leading up to the vote, calling on citizens to demand change after more than four decades of Biya’s rule. Voter turnout appeared moderate in the morning but picked up as the day progressed, especially in urban centers like Yaoundé and Douala. In some rural and conflict-affected areas, particularly in the Anglophone regions, turnout remained low due to security fears and logistical challenges. Despite isolated incidents of delay and confusion over voter registers, the first day of voting was largely peaceful, with domestic and international observers stationed at polling centers to monitor transparency and fairness. By evening, ballot boxes were sealed and transported to counting centers as the nation anxiously awaited the official tally.
The electoral process in Cameroon follows a structured and constitutionally defined procedure managed primarily by the Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) body. The process begins months before voting day, when the president issues a decree setting the election date and timeline for candidate nominations. Aspiring contenders must submit their credentials to ELECAM for verification before the Constitutional Council publishes the final list of approved candidates. The official campaign period lasts two weeks, ending on the eve of election day. Voting itself is conducted through a first-past-the-post system, meaning the candidate with the highest number of votes wins outright, even without an absolute majority. Once polls close, votes are counted at each polling station under the supervision of candidate representatives. The results are then transmitted to regional and national collation centers for verification. The National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes compiles the nationwide results and forwards them to the Constitutional Council, which holds the authority to review complaints, validate results, and officially declare the winner.
After examining all records and resolving any electoral disputes, the Constitutional Council publicly proclaims the president-elect in a televised announcement and publishes the results in the official government gazette. This declaration is final and cannot be appealed. The winning candidate then assumes office as stipulated by Cameroon’s constitution. As counting continued into the night of October 12, 2025, the country remained on edge, awaiting the Constitutional Council’s verdict in what could either reaffirm Paul Biya’s decades-long grip on power or usher in a long-anticipated political transition.
