Will the world's oldest leader retain his title and woo a nation of young electorate?
This world's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's electorate "better days are ahead" as he pursues his 8th consecutive term in office on Sunday.
The elderly leader has remained in power for over four decades - an additional seven-year mandate could keep him in power for half a century reaching almost a century old.
Campaign Controversies
He ignored widespread calls to step down and has been criticised for attending just one public appearance, spending most of the political race on a 10-day personal visit to Europe.
Negative reaction over his reliance on an AI-generated campaign video, as his challengers sought voters in person, saw him rush to the northern region upon his arrival.
Youth Voters and Joblessness
Consequently for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya is the only president they experienced - above sixty percent of Cameroon's 30 million residents are younger than the 25 years old.
Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "new blood" as she thinks "longevity in power typically causes a sort of inertia".
"With 43 years passed, the people are exhausted," she states.
Employment challenges for youth has become a specific discussion topic for nearly all the contenders running in the vote.
Nearly 40% of young residents between 15-35 are jobless, with twenty-three percent of young graduates encountering difficulties in obtaining official jobs.
Opposition Candidates
Apart from young people's job issues, the election system has generated controversy, particularly regarding the removal of an opposition leader from the election contest.
His exclusion, approved by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a strategy to prevent any significant opposition to the current leader.
Twelve contenders were authorized to compete for the presidency, comprising a former minister and another former ally - each ex- Biya associates from the north of the nation.
Voting Challenges
In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and South-West regions, where a long-running separatist conflict persists, an voting prohibition lockdown has been enforced, stopping business activities, transport and learning.
Rebel groups who have established it have warned to attack anyone who casts a ballot.
Since 2017, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been battling official military.
The fighting has to date killed at no fewer than 6k individuals and forced approximately five hundred thousand residents from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Once polling concludes, the highest court has 15 days to reveal the outcome.
The government official has earlier advised that no aspirant is authorized to announce winning beforehand.
"Candidates who will attempt to declare outcomes of the leadership vote or any unofficial win announcement contrary to the regulations of the nation would have crossed the red line and need to be prepared to encounter retaliatory measures commensurate to their crime."
