By Musa Kutama, Calabar
Cameroonian opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has proclaimed himself winner of the 12th October presidential election, calling on President Paul Biya to concede defeat to bring an end to more than four decades of his rule.
“Our victory is clear, it must be respected,” Tchiroma said in a video statement posted on Facebook, with the country’s national flag behind him.
Directly addressing 92-year-old Biya, he urged, “we call on the regime in power to show greatness and to honour the truth of the ballot box with a long-awaited gesture: that phone call of congratulations, which will demonstrate the political maturity of our nation and the future strength of our democracy.”
The official election results though yet to been released by Cameroon’s electoral commission, Elecam, under the law, results must be published no later than 26th October after validation by the constitutional council. Despite this, both Tchiroma’s supporters and those of Biya are claiming victory, with images of tally sheets from polling stations circulating widely on social media.
While it is legal to share results from individual polling stations, the government has warned that announcing nationwide results before the constitutional council’s declaration is prohibited.
“This is the red line that must not be crossed,” Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji told reporters at a news conference on Sunday.
The 2025 election was a single-round contest involving nine opposition candidates. More than eight million Cameroonians were eligible to vote, but the turnout figure is yet to be announced.
However, several opposition contenders have already congratulated Tchiroma on his proclaimed victory.
