"At 92, President Paul Biya, entrenched in power for 43 years, is pushing for an eighth term, while a fractured opposition scrambles to front a challenge that could break his long, unshaken grip in Cameroon. Early this week, Biya made a rare public appearance at his first major rally in the far northern city of Maroua. There, he pledged to reinforce regional security, tackle youth unemployment, and upgrade infrastructure."
"His most visible challenger, Maurice Kamto, was disqualified from the race after the elections body, ELECAM, declared his party had broken nomination rules. Critics slammed the ruling as politically driven and another blow to hopes of a free, fair and transparent election. "There is still very low public trust," Violet Fokum, a Cameroonian governance and elections analyst, said."
"She added that the sudden withdrawal of opposition figures Akere Muna and Ateki Seta, both of whom recently quit the race to back longtime politician Bello Bouba Maigari, has created "a lot of mixed feelings" about whether real change is possible. Muna announced his exit on September 28, throwing his support behind Maigari, shortly after Seta also bowed out to endorse the 78-year-old, who once served as prime minister."
President Paul Biya, 92, entrenched in power for 43 years, is campaigning for an eighth term and made a rare major rally in Maroua pledging to reinforce regional security, tackle youth unemployment, and upgrade infrastructure. Maurice Kamto, the most visible challenger, was disqualified after the elections body ELECAM said his party broke nomination rules, a decision critics labeled politically driven and harmful to prospects for a free, fair and transparent vote. Public trust in the electoral process remains low, with many citizens viewing elections as symbolic rather than genuinely competitive. Withdrawals by Akere Muna and Ateki Seta to back Bello Bouba Maigari have increased uncertainty about the possibility of meaningful change, while voters express hope that the next leader will address worsening economic and social conditions.
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