Can this world's most aged leader retain his position and attract a country of young electorate?
The planet's most aged head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's voters "the best is still to come" as he seeks his eighth straight presidential term this weekend.
The 92-year-old has already been in power for over four decades - another 7-year mandate could keep him in power for 50 years reaching almost 100.
Campaign Issues
He defied broad demands to step down and has been criticised for only showing up for one rally, spending most of the political race on a ten-day personal visit to the European continent.
A backlash concerning his reliance on an AI-generated campaign video, as his challengers sought supporters on the ground, led to his hurried travel to the northern region after coming back.
Youth Population and Joblessness
This indicates for the large portion of the population, Biya is the only president they experienced - above sixty percent of the nation's thirty million people are under the 25 years old.
Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "fresh leadership" as she believes "prolonged leadership inevitably leads to a type of laziness".
"After 43 years, the citizens are weary," she states.
Youth unemployment remains a specific talking point for the majority of the aspirants running in the political race.
Nearly 40% of youthful residents between 15-35 are jobless, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates encountering difficulties in obtaining regular work.
Opposition Contenders
Apart from young people's job issues, the electoral process has also stirred debate, notably concerning the disqualification of a political rival from the leadership competition.
The removal, approved by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a strategy to stop any serious competition to the current leader.
Twelve aspirants were cleared to vie for the presidency, featuring a former minister and another former ally - the two ex- Biya colleagues from the north of the country.
Election Challenges
Within the nation's English-speaking North-West and South-West regions, where a protracted insurgency ongoing, an voting prohibition lockdown has been established, stopping commercial operations, travel and schooling.
Insurgents who have enforced it have warned to attack anyone who casts a ballot.
Since 2017, those seeking to create a breakaway state have been fighting official military.
The fighting has to date killed at no fewer than 6,000 lives and forced nearly five hundred thousand residents from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Following the election, the legal body has 15 days to declare the results.
The security chief has earlier advised that no candidate is allowed to declare victory prior to official results.
"Those who will attempt to reveal findings of the leadership vote or any self-proclaimed victory against the rules of the nation would have crossed the red line and should be ready to receive retaliatory measures commensurate to their offense."
