Cameroon’s electoral body, Elections Cameroon (Elecam), has officially approved 13 candidates to contest in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for 12 October 2025.
The announcement, made on Saturday, marks the formal launch of what is expected to be a tightly contested race for the country’s top office.
Among the candidates cleared is incumbent President Paul Biya, who seeks to extend his decades-long rule.
Also on the list is prominent opposition figure Cabral Libii, the leader of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN), whose candidacy had been widely anticipated.
Notably absent from the approved list is Maurice Kamto, a vocal critic of the current administration and former presidential contender.
Kamto, who was endorsed by the African Democratic Movement (MANIDEM), had his application rejected, though no official reason was immediately provided.
The race will also feature several key political figures who previously served under the Biya administration but have since become vocal critics.
Among them are Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari, both former ministers who now seek to challenge the very regime they once supported.
Espoir Serge Matomba, a self-declared pan-Africanist and leader of the PURS party, also secured a spot on the final list of contenders, bolstering the diversity of ideologies represented in the 2025 race.
Candidates whose applications were rejected still have the opportunity to appeal to the Constitutional Council, as per the electoral code. The final verdict on any appeals is expected in the coming days.
As the campaign season begins, all eyes are on Cameroon’s political landscape, which is set to experience one of its most competitive electoral seasons in recent memory.
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