•  President Paul Biya, 92, to seek eighth term in October 2025 election

• In power since 1982, Biya confirmed candidacy after signing voter decree

• Election set amid 3.6% GDP growth and 40% poverty rate

Cameroonian President Paul Biya, 92, announced his bid for an eighth term, less than three months before the country's presidential election on October 12, 2025. Biya will seek another seven-year mandate as the candidate for the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC), which he also chairs.

" In the face of an increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing. [...] I have therefore decided to heed the numerous and insistent calls from the ten regions of our country and from the diaspora," Biya said in a statement seen by Ecofin Agency.  

His announcement followed by two days his signing of a presidential decree officially calling voters to the polls. According to the timeline released by Elections Cameroon (Elecam), candidates must submit their applications by July 21. The official campaign period will start on September 17.

Biya has been in office since 1982, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders by both age and time in power. Other declared candidates include Maurice Kamto of the MRC and Cabral Libii of the PCRN. Both also ran in the 2018 presidential race. The final list of approved candidates is expected by August 11. Biya's campaign platform has not yet been made public.

The election occurs amid modest economic growth. The International Monetary Fund reported Cameroon's gross domestic product expanded 3.6% in 2024, with annual inflation at 4.5%. Despite these figures, poverty remains a critical concern.The World Bank reported nearly 40% of Cameroonians still live below the national poverty line, and 23% live in extreme poverty, defined as earning less than $2.15 per day in purchasing power parity.