Olushola Omogbehin
Cameroonians in their hundreds took to the streets on Monday to protest against the victory of Paul Biya in the just concluded election.
Known to be the world’s oldest head of state, Paul Biya, was announced to have won another round of election that secured for him the eighth term in office thereby extending his rule beyond four-decade rule.
Cameroon’s Constitutional Council on Monday reported that Biya received 53.66 per cent of the vote, while his main challenger, Issa Tchiroma, obtained 35.19 per cent. Tchiroma, 76, previously served as Biya’s spokesperson.
But Tchiroma has rejected the results calling it a complete fabrication and that there was no legitimate election but rather a elaborate masquerade designed to maintain Biya’s grip on power.
Just some days after the October 12 election, Tchiroma had boldly claimed victory, publishing results showing he got 54.8% of votes as against Biya’s 31.3%. His supporters insisted these figures represented 80% of the electorate and called the official results a blatant distortion of the people’s will.
Paul Biya’s latest victory has has therefore generated civil unrest which has already claimed many lives.
Four people were said to have died on Sunday during violent clashes between security forces and opposition supporters in Douala, the country’s economic capital.
The protest has been more severe in Tchiroma’s hometown of Garoua, where young supporters on motorcycles have gathered with makeshift weapons outside his residence, apparently waiting for his possible arrest by government forces.
Protests have so far erupted not only in major cities like Douala and the capital Yaoundé, but has spread as well to smaller urban centers including Bafoussam.
In order to arrest the situation and avoid breaking down of law and order, a ban on public gatherings has been effected since election day, while many businesses activities across the country have been paralysed out of fear for their safety and their workers safety.
As well, internet restrictions have also plagued the nation which many citizens suspect to be a deliberate disruptions so as to limit communication and organization among opposition supporters.
Meanwhile, the United Nations on Monday urged the authorities to probe the violence at the protests. The UN rights office said this on X, calling for “restraint, investigations and an end to the violence”.
“We’ve been receiving shocking reports of people killed, injured or arrested since yesterday in protests linked to today’s announcement of the presidential election results.”
Biya’s latest victory is an extension of a political dynasty that began in 1982 when he first became the president of Cameroon.
Throughout more than four decades in power, he has gradually destroyed democratic checks and balances, including the elimination of presidential term limits in 2008 that made him an indefinite ruler.
