Cameroon’s Opposition Candidate Issa Tchiroma Declares Victory in Presidential Election
Cameroon’s opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has declared victory in the country’s October 12, 2025 presidential election, urging long-serving President Paul Biya to concede and respect what he described as “the will of the people.”
Tchiroma, who addressed journalists in Yaoundé on Tuesday, said his declaration was based on unofficial tallies and exit polls collected from polling stations across the country. He promised to publish a detailed region-by-region breakdown of the results in the coming days, claiming that Cameroonians had “voted overwhelmingly for change.”
“The people have spoken, and their message is clear. Cameroon has chosen a new path of hope, unity, and reform,” Tchiroma said. “I call on President Biya to act as a statesman and accept the verdict of the ballot box.”
However, the government swiftly responded, warning that any premature declaration of election results was illegal. The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, said only the Constitutional Council has the constitutional mandate to announce official results, describing Tchiroma’s claim as “an act bordering on high treason.”
“The law is clear only the Constitutional Council can declare the winner of a presidential election in Cameroon,” Nji said in a statement broadcast on state television. “Any attempt to usurp that authority is a direct violation of our constitution.”
According to the electoral timeline, the Constitutional Council is expected to publish the official results by October 26, after reviewing complaints and verifying tallies from across Cameroon’s ten regions.
The high-stakes election pits 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who has ruled the Central African nation since 1982, against a rejuvenated opposition coalition seeking to end more than four decades of his rule.
Observers say tensions are running high as both sides brace for the official announcement. Rights groups and Western diplomats have previously raised concerns about restrictions on opposition campaigns and the neutrality of electoral institutions.
Tchiroma, a former government minister turned opposition leader, urged security agencies and civil servants to remain loyal “to the republic, not the regime,” as Cameroonians await the final verdict.
Despite the uncertainty, international observers have so far urged calm and restraint from all parties until the official results are announced.
If confirmed by the Constitutional Council, Tchiroma’s victory would mark the first democratic transition of power in Cameroon in over four decades. However, if the ruling party contests the claim, the nation could face a tense post-election period with possible protests or legal challenges.
