Cameroon’s 92-year-old president Paul Biya seeks eighth term

Cameroonian President Paul Biya says he would be seeking an eighth term in office in October’s presidential election.

Biya is 92 years old and is the world’s oldest serving president.

He announced his intent on Sunday via his official X and Facebook accounts in French and English.

“I’m running for the presidential election on October 12, 2025,” the Facebook post reads.

“Rest assured that my determination to serve you is matched to the severity of the challenges before us. Together there are no challenges we cannot overcome. The best is still to come.”

Biya’s decision to contest the presidential elections could keep him in power until he is nearly 100.

He came to power more than four decades ago in 1982.

Last month, rumours of a military coup ousting Biya went viral on social media, but Cable Check, the fact-checking arm of TheCable, found them to be false.

Rumours about the 92-year-old president often intensify during periods when he is out of the public eye for extended periods.

But the president has been posting regularly in the buildup to Sunday’s announcement.

Last year, rumours about his death sparked widespread speculation after he was absent from the public space for over a month.

The government responded by banning local media from discussing his health and officially denying the rumours, confirming he was alive and in good health, often resting in Geneva.