Cameroon elections: Record 82 hopefuls apply to run for president

A record number of 82 aspirants have applied to vie in Cameroon’s presidential elections due in October, according to figures released by the electoral body following the deadline for submissions on Monday midnight.

Cameroon's President Paul Biya, 92, the world's oldest serving head of state, announced a fortnight ago that he will seek his eighth term in the upcoming elections.

The list of presidential hopefuls include seven female candidates.

Also in the running are Maurice Kamto, who came second in the 2018 presidential election and is Biya's fiercest critic, and prominent opposition figure Cabral Libii from the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (CPNR).

Biya’s longtime allies

Several of Biya’s longtime allies who defected from the ruling party to announce their own candidacies for president are also on the list.

They include former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, an ally of Biya for nearly 30 years, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who resigned as employment minister in early June to submit his candidacy.

The definitive list of candidates will be announced in early August.

Local media reports suggest that the high number of applications could point to a fragmented political landscape.

Eligible voters

More than 8 million Cameroonians are eligible to vote in the presidential election, according to provisional data from the electoral commission.

Last week the electoral commission, Elections Cameroon (Elecam), assured the public that it will deliver a credible, fair and transparent election.