Paul Biya, the world’s oldest President, is seeking to extend his 42-year rule of Cameroon.

Voters in Cameroon, in central Africa, will go to the polls on Sunday. Absent from the ballot is Maurice Kamto, Biya’s main opponent, who was barred from running by the country’s electoral board.

Analysts said the vote would be the most consequential in the country’s recent history. Living conditions have plummeted as the prices of fuel and other basic goods have increased.

Biya, 92, promised that if re-elected, he would fix the economy, take on youth unemployment and address poverty. “I will never resign myself to the current situation,” he said at a rally on Tuesday. “Certainly, much has already been done. But I can assure you that the best is still to come.”

But his tight grip on power may be waning. An unexpectedly spirited Opposition led by former allies and young voters has taken root in recent months, inspired by a wave of Gen Z uprisings in Africa and around the world.

Biya is still widely seen as the favourite. His supporters say his age is not an issue, though he would be 99 years old by the end of his next seven-year term. Chuo Walters, a lawyer and professor at the University of Bertoua who favours Biya, said the President “can think a thousand times faster than a 25- or 30-year-old”.

Most analysts say elections in Cameroon are rigged in favour of keeping Biya in power. “The institutions are designed to ensure he wins,” said Hubert Kinkoh, a political and security analyst. Opponents accuse Biya of using his authority to intimidate the Opposition and to control the courts and electoral commission.

Critics say Biya’s age and lack of a clear succession plan have created a leadership vacuum, gutted the economy and galvanised young people into political activism.

New York Times News Service