Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma declared victory late Monday in Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election, calling on longtime President Paul Biya to concede defeat and respect the will of the people.
“Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma said in a speech posted on Facebook from his hometown of Garoua in northern Cameroon.
“The people have chosen. And this choice must be honoured.”
Tchiroma, a former government spokesperson and employment minister in his late 70s, broke with Biya earlier this year and launched a high-profile campaign backed by a coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups. His rallies attracted large crowds, especially in the country’s north.
The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) responded on Tuesday by rejecting Tchiroma’s self-declared win, calling it a “grotesque hoax.”
Party spokesperson Jacques Fame Ndongo insisted that only the Constitutional Council has the legal authority to announce election results.
“This is an inadmissible act in a state governed by the rule of law,” Ndongo said in a statement.
Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji also issued a warning, vowing to maintain public order and protect citizens and property throughout the post-election period.
At 92, Biya is the world’s oldest serving head of state and is seeking an eighth term after more than four decades in power.
Despite growing dissatisfaction over economic stagnation and ongoing insecurity, many analysts had expected Biya’s dominance over state institutions and a divided opposition to favor his reelection.
Tchiroma, however, praised Cameroonian voters for turning out in large numbers and staying at polling stations late into the night to protect their votes.
“I thank the candidates who have already congratulated me and acknowledged the people’s will,” he said.
“We have placed the regime before a choice: either accept the truth of the ballot box with dignity, or risk plunging the country into a crisis that will leave lasting scars.”
Cameroonian electoral law permits results to be posted at polling stations, allowing parties and observers to compile provisional tallies.
However, only the Constitutional Council can validate final results, with an official announcement expected no later than October 26.
Tchiroma promised to release a region-by-region breakdown of vote totals gathered from publicly posted data in the coming days. “This victory is not mine alone, nor that of a single party. It belongs to the people,” he said.
He also issued a direct appeal to the country’s military and civil servants: “Remain loyal to the republic, not to a regime.”
Over the weekend, Minister Atanga Nji warned that any unilateral publication of election results would be treated as “high treason.”
More than 8 million Cameroonians were registered to vote in the single-round election, in which the presidency is awarded to the candidate who secures the most votes.