Cameroon Opposition Leader Rejects Biya’s Victory, Vows Nationwide Protests

Cameroon’s opposition leader Issa Chiroma Bakari has rejected the Constitutional Council’s declaration of President Paul Biya as the winner of the October 12 election, calling it a “fabricated victory” and vowing to launch widespread protests.

At 92, Biya is the world’s oldest head of state and has ruled Cameroon since 1982. His re-election has further stoked tensions in the cocoa- and oil-producing nation, where critics accuse him of using state institutions to cling to power.

In his first public address late Tuesday, Chiroma said, “The truth of the ballot is clear. We won this election by a large margin. This victory is not mine—it belongs to the people of Cameroon,” following the Council’s confirmation of Biya’s eighth term.

Violent protests erupt
Violence broke out across several cities after the Council’s ruling on Monday—a final decision that cannot be appealed.

Local media reported that at least 10 people were killed as hundreds took to the streets, denouncing the vote as fraudulent.

In a video posted on Facebook, Chiroma demanded an end to what he called “these brutal acts—killings, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation,” and pledged to continue resisting.
“We will not bow to fear or manipulation. We are united, and we will keep protesting until the final victory,” he said.

Cameroon’s Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji accused Chiroma of inciting unrest and rebellion after prematurely declaring victory on October 13.

“This irresponsible candidate, motivated by a desire to disrupt public order, repeatedly used social media to call for civil unrest,” Nji said in a statement.

He claimed that small groups of protesters—“often under the influence of drugs”—had looted shops and set fire to public buildings, though he provided no evidence of drug use.

In Douala, the country’s economic capital and the epicenter of the violence, Nji said several government and private properties were vandalized.

He added that some security personnel were injured and several attackers were killed during clashes.

Regional authorities confirmed that more than 200 people have been arrested in connection with the protests.