(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s Constitutional Council officially proclaimed Paul Biya the winner of the presidential election this October 27, 2025. The incumbent president and leader of the CPDM (Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement) obtained 53.66% of the vote, according to the President of the Constitutional Council.
His main opponent, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, was declared second with 35.19% of the vote. At 76, this former ally of Mr. Biya had resigned from the government in June 2025. He ran for the FNSC (Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon), supported by the “Union for Change” coalition. He presented himself as a transitional figure promising reforms and audits.
Among the other notable candidates (12 in total) were Bello Bouba Maigari (UNDP), Cabral Libii (PCRN), and Joshua Osih (SDF). This proclamation of results comes as hotspots of tension, as well as arrests, have emerged since the end of the weekend. The election, which had approximately 7.8 million registered voters, was marked by opposition claims of victory.
In this context of post-electoral tension, the administration must look to the future. It is preparing to examine the 2026 finance bill (budget) starting this November 3. This is a sensitive exercise, as this new presidential term begins as the country enters the second half of its national development strategy, scheduled to conclude in 2030, and which still needs to catch up on several of its performance indicators for an emerging Cameroon.
Idriss Linge
