Tension is rising in Yaoundé ahead of a key announcement on Saturday, 13 September, when Cameroon’s opposition parties are expected to present a single joint candidate to face long-serving President Paul Biya in the October 2025 election.
The event will take place at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in the political capital, where opposition leaders say they are determined to send what they call “a strong message” to the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).
President Biya, 93, has led the country for 43 years. Critics accuse his government of economic mismanagement, entrenched corruption, and a failure to address the daily struggles of ordinary Cameroonians. While the CPDM continues to back him for another term, frustration with his leadership has been mounting, particularly among the country’s youth.
On Saturday, opposition leader Professor Maurice Kamto, who was disqualified from the presidential race by the Constitutional Council, is expected to endorse the joint candidate. His participation is seen as a pivotal moment for the opposition, with many speculating that Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former communication and vocational education minister, will emerge as the consensus choice.
Observers say Kamto’s support could significantly shift the electoral map. His popularity, combined with Tchiroma’s northern base, poses a challenge to the CPDM in regions where it has historically struggled, including the West, Northwest, and Littoral. In the North, discontent with the ruling party has intensified, with reports of communities openly rejecting CPDM officials.
For many analysts, the decision to exclude Kamto from the race may have backfired, uniting previously fragmented opposition groups around a common platform. “The opposition appears to be rallying in a way we have not seen in decades,” one political commentator noted.
With weeks to go before the October polls, Saturday’s announcement could reshape Cameroon’s political landscape. For the first time in years, the ruling party faces a united opposition front determined to mount a serious challenge to President Biya’s decades-long hold on power.
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