Eleven candidates in fractured opposition vie to unseat Cameroon’s Biya

Eleven candidates look disconnected against Cameroon’s incumbent president Paul Biya successful elections connected Sunday, with the divided absorption having failed to unite down a associated contender.

The 92-year-old caput of state, who has spent 43 years successful power, made his archetypal nationalist quality of the run connected Tuesday conscionable 5 days earlier the vote.

Four candidates among the crowded lineup of statesmanlike hopefuls person drawn attention: 2 erstwhile ministers and 2 fierce authorities adversaries.

– Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 79 –

Bakary precocious defected from the statesmanlike campy and has gathered respective 1000 radical astatine his meetings astir the country.

The erstwhile employment curate and person of the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC) resigned from authorities successful June aft much than 20 years successful the ranks of the ruling majority.

A conjugation of number absorption parties and civilian nine actors called Union for Change 2025 nominated Bakary for predetermination successful mid-September, but helium has not garnered further enactment since.

On the run way successful Cameroon’s English-speaking region, the statesmanlike campaigner apologised for “denying the beingness of an Anglophone contented successful this country” during his clip successful office.

– Bello Bouba Maigari, 78 –

Maigari was Biya’s archetypal premier curate successful 1982 and came 3rd down him successful the 1992 statesmanlike election.

As person of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), helium was portion of the statesmanlike bulk until helium resigned arsenic tourism curate successful precocious June.

Two different statesmanlike candidates, Ateki Seta Caxton of the Liberal Alliance Party (PAL) and lawyer Akere Tabeng Muna of the Universe party, person announced their enactment for Maigari and withdrawn from the race, but not successful clip to forestall their names from appearing connected ballots alongside 9 others.

– Cabral Libii, 45 –

A longstanding rival of Biya’s, Libii is the person of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN) and came 3rd successful the 2018 statesmanlike election.

He decided not to boycott the 2020 legislative elections, and his enactment won 5 seats.

– Maurice Kamto, 71 –

Biya’s apical hostile and runner-up successful the 2018 election, Kamto’s candidacy for the upcoming statesmanlike bid was rejected by the Constitutional Council.

He has denounced the “arbitrary” determination and accuses the authorities of orchestrating his exclusion.

Previously the person of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), Kamto near the enactment successful June to recovered another: the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM).

Following the prohibition connected him running, Kamto has met with astir of the different candidates, and contempt his supporters’ readiness for guidance connected who to ballot for, helium has simply told them to bash truthful “freely”.

The station Eleven candidates successful fractured absorption vie to unseat Cameroon’s Biya appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.