7th October Presidential Election:

Paul Biya, Easy Walk to a Record 7th Victory

President Paul Biya announced his candidature over Twitter

President Paul Biya on Friday 13 July 2018 announced on his twitter account his candidacy for reelection to the supreme magistracy of Cameroon. He will be running for the same office for the 7th successive time.

            “Dear compatriots in Cameroon and the Diaspora, aware of the challenges that we must surmount together to ensure a more united, stable and prosperous Cameroon, I have accepted to respond favorably to your overwhelming calls. I will be your candidate in the next presidential election,” wrote President Paul Biya on his twitter account.

            Paul Biya announced his candidature few days after he, on 9 July 2018, convened the electorate for the Presidential polls to take place on 7 October.

            Soon after announcing his candidature, Paul Biya on Friday 13 July, sent his Director of Cabinet, Mvondo Ayolo and the SG of his party, Jean Kuete, to summit his candidature file at Elecam. Candidates for the presidential election had 10 days from the date of the convening of the electorate to submit their candidatures at Elecam.

            By virtue of the statutes of the CDPM party, the president of the party is the “natural candidate” for presidential elections. So the party did not need to convene a congress to nominate Paul Biya as its candidate.

            It should be recalled that the Polit-bureau of the CPDM had in 2016 reelected Paul Biya as the president of the party.

            Yet, it was intriguing that Paul Biya opted for the twitter in preference to the traditional media to announce his candidature. It is understood that the Yaounde regime is not very comfortable with the infectious usage of the social media to relay information especially by the youths of the country.

            But Biya apologists say the 85-year-old chose the social media because he wanted to reach out to the youths on whom he counts for a 7th presidential victory.

            Biya was handed power by Cameroon’s pioneer president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, on 6th November 1982. In his 36-year reign, he has been reelected six times, in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1997, 2004 and 2011.

            Before becoming president in 1982, Paul Biya had served as Prime Minister under Ahidjo for seven years (1975-1982). He had also served cumulatively as the SG and Director of Civil Cabinet of the presidency.

            A versatile technocrat, Paul Biya studied public law and political sciences at the University of Surbonne, in Paris France, and at the institute d’Outre Mer.

            A staunch Roman Catholic, Biya started his secondary education as a seminarian, being the son of a catechist.

            With his experience and his grip on the institutions of the republic, pundits say it would be difficult or even impossible for any candidate to defeat Biya at the polls.