Will the world's oldest leader keep his title and attract a nation of young voters?
This planet's most aged head of state - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has promised the nation's voters "the future holds promise" as he pursues his eighth consecutive presidential term on Sunday.
The elderly leader has remained in office for over four decades - an additional 7-year mandate could keep him in power for half a century until he will be almost a century old.
Campaign Controversies
He ignored broad demands to leave office and has been criticised for attending just one rally, devoting much of the political race on a week-and-a-half personal visit to Europe.
Negative reaction over his reliance on an AI-generated political commercial, as his rivals courted voters directly, prompted his quick return north upon his arrival.
Youth Population and Unemployment
This indicates for the great bulk of the people, Biya is the only president they experienced - over sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million inhabitants are under the quarter century mark.
Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "different faces" as she maintains "longevity in power naturally results in a kind of complacency".
"With 43 years passed, the population are weary," she states.
Employment challenges for youth has been a particular talking point for the majority of the candidates running in the political race.
Nearly 40% of young residents aged from 15 and 35 are without work, with 23% of young graduates experiencing problems in securing official jobs.
Opposition Contenders
In addition to youth unemployment, the election system has also stirred debate, especially with the exclusion of Maurice Kamto from the presidential race.
The removal, confirmed by the highest court, was widely criticised as a strategy to block any significant opposition to the incumbent.
Twelve aspirants were cleared to vie for the presidency, including a former minister and another former ally - the two previous Biya allies from the northern region of the nation.
Election Difficulties
Within the nation's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions, where a protracted rebellion persists, an voting prohibition restriction has been enforced, stopping economic functions, movement and schooling.
Rebel groups who have enforced it have threatened to attack anyone who participates.
Starting four years ago, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been clashing with official military.
The violence has until now killed at least 6k lives and forced almost 500,000 residents from their residences.
Election Results
Once polling concludes, the highest court has fifteen days to reveal the findings.
The interior minister has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is allowed to claim success prior to official results.
"Individuals who will attempt to announce results of the leadership vote or any self-proclaimed victory against the rules of the country would have crossed the red line and must prepare to face retaliatory measures appropriate for their offense."
