Cameroon on Edge: Opposition Leader Rejects Election Results as Protests Escalate

October 29, 2025 muduuli martin

Deck Issa Tchiroma Bakary calls the Constitutional Council’s ruling a “fictitious victory” after President Paul Biya was declared winner of the Oct. 12 vote — clashes with security forces have left multiple dead and hundreds detained.

YAOUNDÉ —CAMEROON

Cameroon on Wednesday 29.October 2025 plunged deeper into political turmoil this week after opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary rejected the official results of the Oct. 12 presidential election and urged supporters to keep protesting a vote he called stolen. Tchiroma described the Constitutional Council’s declaration of President Paul Biya as a “fictitious victory,” and said he would continue peaceful resistance to what he called a rigged outcome.

The Constitutional Council confirmed Mr. Biya — Africa’s longest-serving head of state — as the winner, giving the 92-year-old president a majority that would hand him another seven-year term. Official figures cited by the court placed Biya’s share of the vote at roughly 53.66%, with Tchiroma reported at about 35.19%, figures rejected outright by the opposition.

The announcement has triggered sustained unrest in several urban centres. Demonstrations in Douala, Garoua and Yaoundé have turned violent at times, with protesters erecting barricades, burning tyres and clashing with riot police who responded with tear gas, water cannon and live rounds in some incidents. Reporting from multiple outlets indicates that the number of dead and detained varies between sources — with some outlets citing at least four fatalities and others reporting up to ten — and hundreds have been arrested in connection with the unrest.

Tchiroma — once an ally of the ruling coalition and a veteran politician — surprised many by declaring victory himself before the Constitutional Council confirmed results. In a televised statement he denounced the court’s conclusions and accused the state apparatus of manipulating turnout and vote counts, particularly in regions long affected by insecurity and electoral irregularities. He urged Cameroonians to remain peaceful but resolute in demanding a credible vote count and accountability.

The government has sought to frame the unrest as instigated by opportunistic elements and has accused opposition figures of incitement. Interior Ministry officials claimed that some demonstrators engaged in vandalism and looting, and that security forces were acting to restore order. The minister’s office also accused opposition social-media campaigns of provoking public disorder. Opposition leaders and rights groups reject these characterizations and say security forces have used disproportionate force against largely young protesters.

Human rights organizations and international observers have reacted with alarm. Several groups have called for independent inquiries into the conduct of the election and into reports of excessive use of force by security personnel. Rights monitors also pointed to administrative irregularities — including problems with voter rolls and voting procedures — which critics say contributed to doubt about the credibility of the official tally.

International diplomatic responses have been cautious. While some regional bodies noted that the election broadly followed procedural norms, Western governments and rights bodies urged restraint and called on the Cameroonian authorities to investigate allegations of fraud and to respect the right to peaceful protest. Observers warn that without credible investigations and open dialogue, the security and humanitarian situation could worsen in a country already coping with long-running separatist conflict in Anglophone regions and economic strains across the population.

Economically, the unrest risks amplifying investor anxiety in a country that depends on oil and cocoa exports; transport disruptions and localised business closures were reported in the commercial capital Douala. For ordinary citizens the protests reflect broader frustrations: many young Cameroonians say decades of entrenched rule and limited social mobility have made them skeptical of electoral fairness.

Analysts say the scale and persistence of protests will test both the opposition’s ability to sustain pressure and the government’s willingness to tolerate dissent. “The outcome of this crisis will depend on whether state institutions — from the courts to the security services — opt for dialogue and transparency, or for repression,” one regional analyst said. (Analyst comment paraphrased from regional commentary in coverage.)

As the country braces for further demonstrations, Cameroonians and international actors alike face a stark choice: push for independent review and political reform or risk escalation that could deepen instability and human suffering. For now, the streets of major cities carry the tension of a nation at a political crossroads.

What to watch next • Reports on further arrests and official casualty figures.