Will the planet's oldest leader keep the position and attract a country of youthful electorate?

The planet's oldest head of state - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has pledged the nation's voters "the future holds promise" as he aims for his eighth straight term in office on Sunday.

The nonagenarian has already been in office since 1982 - an additional 7-year mandate could see him rule for 50 years reaching almost 100.

Campaign Controversies

He defied widespread calls to leave office and faced criticism for only showing up for one rally, spending most of the campaign period on a week-and-a-half private trip to the European continent.

A backlash over his dependence on an AI-generated campaign video, as his opponents actively wooed supporters in person, led to his hurried travel to the northern region upon his arrival.

Young Voters and Unemployment

This indicates for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya remains the sole leader they experienced - more than sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million inhabitants are under the 25 years old.

Youthful campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "fresh leadership" as she thinks "longevity in power naturally results in a kind of laziness".

"With 43 years passed, the people are tired," she says.

Youth unemployment remains a particular discussion topic for the majority of the aspirants running in the election.

Approximately 40% of young residents aged from 15 to 35 years are without work, with 23% of college-educated youth encountering difficulties in obtaining regular work.

Opposition Candidates

Beyond youth unemployment, the electoral process has created controversy, particularly regarding the disqualification of an opposition leader from the election contest.

The disqualification, confirmed by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a ploy to prevent any strong challenge to the incumbent.

Twelve aspirants were cleared to contest for the leadership position, including a former minister and a previous supporter - the two previous Biya associates from the northern region of the country.

Voting Challenges

In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest areas, where a long-running rebellion ongoing, an election boycott lockdown has been imposed, stopping business activities, transport and learning.

The separatists who have enforced it have warned to attack people who casts a ballot.

Since 2017, those working toward a breakaway state have been clashing with government forces.

The fighting has until now resulted in at least six thousand lives and forced nearly 500,000 people from their residences.

Election Results

Following the election, the highest court has 15 days to declare the findings.

The government official has previously cautioned that no candidate is authorized to announce winning prior to official results.

"Those who will seek to reveal findings of the leadership vote or any unofficial win announcement in violation of the rules of the nation would have broken rules and need to be prepared to receive retaliatory measures commensurate to their crime."