Honestly, if you were looking for a shock result in Central Africa this year, you weren't going to find it in Yaoundé. The big question of who won the presidential election in Cameroon 2025 has a very familiar answer: Paul Biya. At 92 years old, the man basically redefined the word "incumbent."
He’s now the oldest head of state in the world. On October 27, 2025, the Constitutional Council made it official, declaring that Biya secured 53.66% of the vote. This handed him an eighth term. For those keeping track, he has been in power since 1982. That is over four decades. Most Cameroonians haven’t even lived in a world where Biya wasn't the president.
But here is the thing. While the official numbers say one thing, the streets said something entirely different. The 2025 election wasn't just another routine vote; it was a powder keg that finally blew.
The Official Results vs. The Streets
The Constitutional Council, led by Clement Atangana, was pretty firm. They released the numbers showing a clear victory for the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC).
To put it simply, the government’s tally looked like this:
- Paul Biya (RDPC): 53.66% (2,474,179 votes)
- Issa Tchiroma Bakary (FSNC): 35.19% (1,622,334 votes)
- Cabral Libii (PCRN): 3.42%
- Bello Bouba Maigari (UNDP): 2.45%
The voter turnout was roughly 57.7%. Now, if you just looked at those numbers, you’d think it was a standard, somewhat competitive race. But the lead-up was anything but standard. Maurice Kamto, who many saw as the biggest threat to Biya after he finished second in 2018, was barred from the race entirely. The Constitutional Council cited "procedural irregularities," which is basically political-speak for "you're not allowed to play."
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This left Issa Tchiroma Bakary as the main challenger. Tchiroma is a wild story on his own. He was actually a longtime ally of Biya and served in his government for years before resigning in June 2025 to join the opposition. He didn't take the official results lying down.
Before the Council even spoke, Tchiroma went on social media claiming he had won with 60% of the vote based on his party's tallies. He called on Biya to concede. He called the official figures "inaccurate." He even claimed there was an attempt on his life.
Why the 2025 Election Felt Different
People are tired. You've got a population where over 70% of the people are under the age of 35. They see a 92-year-old leader who often governs from a hotel in Switzerland and they wonder what the future holds.
The anger boiled over almost immediately. In cities like Douala and Garoua (Tchiroma’s hometown), protests turned deadly. Security forces, including the elite Rapid Intervention Brigade (BIR), moved in fast. At least four people died in the initial clashes. In Garoua, a teacher was reportedly shot by police, which just fueled the fire.
The African Union mission gave the vote a lukewarm thumbs-up, saying it was "largely in accordance" with standards, but the mood on the ground was far more cynical.
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The Maurice Kamto Factor
You can't talk about who won the presidential election in Cameroon 2025 without talking about who wasn't allowed to win. Disqualifying Maurice Kamto was a massive blow to the election's credibility. His supporters felt the game was rigged before the first ballot was even cast. When Kamto was sidelined, a lot of that energy shifted to Tchiroma, but it also turned into a deep-seated resentment that the "state machinery" was being used to protect the status quo.
The Anglophone Crisis and Boko Haram
Cameroon is dealing with a lot right now. There's the ongoing "Anglophone Crisis" in the North West and South West regions where separatists want to break away. Then there's the Boko Haram insurgency in the North. Biya’s supporters, like Flicia Feh in Yaoundé, argue that he’s the only one who can keep the country together. They point to big infrastructure projects like the Yaoundé-Douala motorway as proof of progress.
Critics, however, say the stability is an illusion maintained by force. They see a country where corruption is rampant and the youth are ignored.
What Happens Now?
Paul Biya was inaugurated for his eighth term on November 6, 2025. It was a formal affair, but the shadows were long. Issa Tchiroma Bakary actually fled the country to Gambia shortly after the inauguration, citing threats from the government.
So, what is the actionable takeaway for someone following this?
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First, watch the succession. With Biya at 92, the conversation isn't really about his new seven-year term; it's about what happens when he can no longer lead. There are rumors about his son, Franck Biya, or powerful figures like Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.
Second, keep an eye on the internal unrest. The post-election violence in 2025 showed that the "silent majority" in Cameroon is becoming much louder. If you're looking at the region for business or travel, the political risk has definitely ticked upward.
Next steps for staying informed:
- Monitor the African Union’s reports on Cameroon's "National Dialogue" efforts, which often follow these contentious elections.
- Follow independent news outlets like Journal du Cameroun or Le Jour for updates on the legal challenges still pending in the lower courts.
- Track the movements of opposition leaders in exile, as they often coordinate protests from abroad.
The 2025 election might be over on paper, but for the people of Cameroon, the real struggle for what comes after the Biya era is just beginning.