Cameroon election contested after Biya declared winner

Yaoundé, Cameroon – Eight days after the 12 October presidential election, the National Vote Counting Commission has announced preliminary results showing incumbent President Paul Biya winning re-election with 53 to 54 percent of the vote. Biya, who leads the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, has been in power for more than four decades.

Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has rejected the official figures, claiming his own tally puts him ahead with about 60 percent of the vote. Bakary has called the results inaccurate and called for greater transparency in the counting process.

The announcement has intensified political tensions in Yaoundé and other major cities, with supporters from both camps awaiting further clarification. The Constitutional Council is expected to confirm or reject the results in the coming days.