Cameroon’s presidential campaign has officially begun, but citizens are searching in vain for their long-serving leader. President Paul Biya, 92, who has been in power for 43 years, launched the electoral period from Geneva, where he is reportedly on a “private trip.”
His physical absence is being offset by a striking digital presence, including a video titled “Grandeur et Espérance”, largely generated using artificial intelligence.
The 30-second clip, shared on the social media platform X, blends drone footage, sometimes disjointed AI-generated visuals, and a robotic voice that praises the president’s record while promising peace, unity, and opportunities for young people.
The high-tech campaign contrasts sharply with both the country’s political realities and the advanced age of the incumbent, who is seeking an unprecedented eighth term.
This digital strategy emerges in a tense political environment.
The main challenger in the 2018 election, Maurice Kamto, was barred from running by the Constitutional Council—a move his lawyers described as politically motivated.
The opposition remains fragmented, with figures such as Cabral Libii and former minister Bello Bouba Maigari struggling to consolidate a serious challenge against Biya.
Calls from his own daughter, Brenda Biya, urging citizens not to vote for him, and concerns from NGOs over electoral transparency have so far done little to shift the political balance.
Analysts note that Biya’s enduring advantage does not stem from universal popularity, but from his firm control over state institutions and the political system, which he has dominated for more than four decades.
This entrenched authority leaves little doubt about the likely outcome of the October 12 election.
Observers say the use of AI in Biya’s campaign highlights a broader trend in modern politics, where digital technologies can amplify messaging even when traditional, in-person campaigning is limited. For many Cameroonians, however, the futuristic visuals serve as a stark reminder of the dissonance between the country’s political image and its lived realities.
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