Overview

• Sunday’s presidential ballot proceeds with 11 opposition candidates after Maurice Kamto was excluded by the elections body.
• Rights groups and analysts question the contest’s fairness, pointing to Biya’s control of key institutions.
• Persistent violence in anglophone regions and jihadist threats in the Far North are expected to depress turnout and complicate voting.
• Biya’s low-profile campaign started with a social media video criticized for alleged AI imagery and featured a rare rally in Maroua that drew fewer supporters than expected.
• Opposition unity has eroded as Akere Muna and Ateki Seta exited the race to endorse Bello Bouba Maigari.