Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state at 92, made his first major appearance in his campaign for an eighth consecutive term on Monday. With just five days until the election, Biya addressed supporters at a stadium in Maroua, a key electoral battleground in the Far North region. This marked his first public appearance since May of this year.
In his 25-minute speech to a crowd of several hundred supporters from the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, Biya expressed his unwavering determination to serve the people. He emphasized the importance of youth, women, and infrastructure in his agenda, stating, “My goal is for every young person, wherever they are, to easily find a job or start a business. No young person, whether they are a graduate or not, will be left behind.”
While organizers expected nearly 25,000 attendees, only a few hundred showed up, according to AFP correspondents. Maroua, which borders Nigeria and Chad, has around 1.22 million registered voters but is frequently affected by attacks from the jihadist group Boko Haram.
Opposition figure Maurice Kamto, whose candidacy was rejected in August, has urged voters to exercise their rights freely after attempts to unify the opposition failed.
