Cameroon is holding its breath as the Constitutional Council prepares to proclaim the results of the October 12 2025 presidential election. Tensions are mounting nationwide, and reports indicate that two people were killed in Garoua following post-electoral violence allegedly involving Cameroonian soldiers. The victims are said to include a teacher and a student.
Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakari, candidate of the Front for the Salvation of the National Change (FSNC) party, has already declared himself winner of the vote. He released results purportedly compiled from polling station tally sheets, claiming a 54.8% victory against incumbent President Paul Biya, who he says received 31.3%. Tchiroma has sought refuge in his hometown of Garoua in the North Region of the country, where hundreds of his supporters and sympathisers have taken turns guarding his residence to prevent what they fear could be an imminent arrest.
However, preliminary figures released by the National Vote Counting Commission, published through those who took part in the working sessions, tell a different story. The commission, which completed its work on Tuesday, places the 93-year-old President Biya in the lead with 53.66% of the vote, while Tchiroma trails with 35.19%. The commission has not released official tally sheets to support its numbers, prompting accusations from opposition parties and civil society groups that the process has been manipulated in favour of the incumbent.
Political analysts have also raised questions about the credibility of results from the two English-speaking regions, which have been plagued by an armed conflict for nearly a decade. Many observers doubt that residents of these regions, who have suffered the brunt of a crisis that has killed more than 5,000 people and displaced nearly one million, could have overwhelmingly voted for President Biya.
Most opposition parties refrained from filing post-electoral petitions before the Constitutional Council, citing the body’s alleged lack of neutrality. The opposition PCRN and SDF, which initially submitted petitions seeking partial or total annulment of the elections, later withdrew them. CDU, led by Tomaino Ndam Njoya, who maintained her case before the Council demanding an annulment of the poll, saw her petition rejected.
Meanwhile, plans for nationwide protests appear to be taking shape ahead of the official results announcement apparently scheduled for October 27, according to a statement from the Constitutional Council’s Present, Clement Atangana. The statement requested the Director of the Yaounde Conference centre to make the venue available.
The Union for Change Movement (UCM), which endorsed Tchiroma’s candidacy, has called on Cameroonians to stay home and “celebrate the victory” of their candidate. Meanwhile, Issa Tchiroma in a 20 minute video posted on his facebook page, Tchiroma 2025, called for a peaceful transition and for the incumbent to hand over power. Other political leaders and civil society actors through social media posts have called for street protests.
In contrast, the government has issued stern warnings against any form of demonstration. The controversial Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has urged calm while threatening to arrest anyone participating in unauthorized protests. In a statement on October 21, he confirmed the arrest of about 20 persons in Garoua, who have since been transferred to Yaoundé to face military tribunal charges of hostility against the nation and insurrection.
Protests had already erupted in several cities — including Garoua, Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, and Dschang — where public buildings were set on fire. Fears of further unrest have gripped many neighbourhoods ahead of the results announcement. Major urban centres have been heavily militarized, with local administrators and traditional chiefs dispatched to “preach peace” to residents.
Authorities have also banned the movement of commercial motorcyclists in several towns, citing security concerns. As tension builds, Cameroon waits anxiously for the Constitutional Council’s verdict. The French Embassy in Yaoundé in a statement, has urged its nationals to remain vigilant amid growing concerns of post-election violence.
For now, the nation is holding its breath.
