Cameroon to hold twice-delayed legislative and local elections on 7 February

President Paul Biya has announced that Cameroon's legislative and municipal elections will take place on 7 February 2027. The decision was announced by decree on public radio on Monday. The polls have been postponed twice.

They will be the first elections since Mr Biya, 93, the world's oldest serving head of state, was returned to office in a contested vote last year. He has governed Cameroon since 1982.

The opposition rejected the outcome of that election, and the demonstrations that followed were forcibly suppressed by the authorities. Last month, the authorities suspended the Cameroon National Salvation Front (FSNC), the party of defeated presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who went into exile in The Gambia after declaring himself the winner.

The political climate remains tense. A government reshuffle announced nearly a year ago has yet to take place, and the post of Vice-President, reintroduced by a constitutional reform in April, remains vacant. The Vice-President would be expected to succeed the Head of State in the event of his death. Mr Biya's lengthy stays abroad, including more than two months in Geneva earlier this year, continue to fuel debate about his health.

Calls for renewal

In Yaoundé, residents expressed the hope that the elections would bring younger people into positions of responsibility. Nkopipie Kodjo, who leads a charity, said Cameroonians wanted a new generation of political leaders with fresh energy and ideas. Henri Etene, a business owner, said scandals surrounding social and development projects had eroded public confidence, and expressed the hope that new legislators would address these matters through substantive debate. Robert Fodjo, an agricultural technician, urged those elected to keep their promises and to place ordinary citizens first.