Will the world's oldest president keep his position and woo a country of young voters?
This planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured Cameroon's electorate "the best is still to come" as he pursues his 8th straight term in office on Sunday.
The elderly leader has stayed in office for over four decades - another seven-year term could see him rule for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Election Issues
He defied widespread calls to resign and faced criticism for making merely a single campaign event, using the majority of the campaign period on a ten-day private trip to Europe.
Negative reaction over his reliance on an AI-generated political commercial, as his opponents actively wooed constituents directly, prompted his quick return to the northern region upon his arrival.
Young Voters and Unemployment
It means that for the great bulk of the population, Biya is the only president they have known - more than sixty percent of the nation's 30 million people are under the quarter century mark.
Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "fresh leadership" as she maintains "longevity in power typically causes a sort of complacency".
"With 43 years passed, the citizens are weary," she declares.
Youth unemployment has been a specific issue of concern for most of the contenders running in the election.
Almost forty percent of youthful citizens between 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of young graduates encountering difficulties in securing formal employment.
Opposition Contenders
In addition to young people's job issues, the voting procedure has generated dispute, notably concerning the exclusion of Maurice Kamto from the election contest.
His exclusion, upheld by the legal authority, was broadly condemned as a tactic to block any significant opposition to the current leader.
A dozen contenders were approved to compete for the presidency, including an ex-government official and Bello Bouba Maigari - the two ex- Biya associates from the north of the nation.
Election Difficulties
In Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and Southwest areas, where a extended rebellion ongoing, an voting prohibition closure has been imposed, paralysing business activities, transport and education.
The separatists who have imposed it have threatened to attack individuals who casts a ballot.
Starting four years ago, those seeking to create a separate nation have been fighting state security.
The violence has to date resulted in at minimum 6,000 people and forced approximately half a million others from their houses.
Election Results
After Sunday's vote, the legal body has two weeks to reveal the outcome.
The government official has earlier advised that no aspirant is allowed to declare victory prior to official results.
"Candidates who will attempt to declare outcomes of the leadership vote or any personal declaration of success against the laws of the nation would have broken rules and must prepare to receive consequences matching their violation."
