(Yaoundé) – Cameroon’s long serving president, Paul Biya, has achieved a remarkable feat: staying in power for 42 years. This week, supporters across Cameroon will mark this milestone with rallies, special broadcasts, and enthusiastic calls for an eighth term – yes, an eighth – for the 91 year old leader. Biya, who recently returned from a six week stint abroad, seems to embody a leadership style that Ugandans might liken to a long lost family member who reappears just in time for the festivities.
In a country where “absence makes the heart grow fonder” might as well be official policy, Biya’s leadership is celebrated with a rare mix of admiration, loyalty, and a hint of mystery. The ruling party, Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC), has left no stone unturned, urging Cameroonians to rally “as one” behind the man who has led the country since 1982. Just like Ugandan weddings where speeches can go on longer than the actual vows, party officials showered Biya with praise, calling for an end to “malicious speculation” about his health. In a statement, RDPC secretary Jean Nkuete described Biya’s 42 year rule as “fantastic,” much like a village elder insisting that the rains only come because he calls them.
For the uninitiated, Biya is famous for ruling from abroad, leading many Cameroonians to wonder if he prefers the clean air and quiet of Switzerland over Yaoundé’s bustling life. His recent six week trip sparked enough health rumors to rival Kampala’s own boda boda gossip, forcing his officials to issue a statement assuring the public that he was “working from Switzerland.” Perhaps the most anticipated event of his return was the Yaoundé airport greeting, where party loyalists and his wife Chantal welcomed him back. Observant onlookers spotted a wheelchair lift nearby, just in case, a symbol of Cameroon’s commitment to supporting its elderly president – in every way possible.
| Paul Biya’s Leadership in Numbers | Years |
|---|---|
| Total Years in Power | 42 |
| Age | 91 |
| Number of Known Overseas Visits | Numerous |
| Terms Requested by Party | 8 (potentially) |
| Number of Successors Named | 0 |
Since his return, Biya has wasted no time asserting his authority. In true form, he signed a series of decrees, mostly for military appointments, demonstrating his continued grip on power. The state television network, CRTV, even ran an article by its chief, Charles Ndongo, praising Biya’s longevity as a “strategic blend of absence, distance, and silence.”
Biya’s style of leadership draws a stark contrast with Africa’s younger leaders, many of whom are pushing for rapid reforms and development projects. But Biya’s approach – a mix of diplomacy and prolonged stays in European hotels – has made him a leader with a unique rhythm. His government’s magazine, “Time of Opportunity,” dedicated over 50 pages to what it called Biya’s “intense diplomatic activities.” To outsiders, it may seem like “intense” is a stretch, but to Biya’s loyalists, even a few handshakes with foreign dignitaries can count as grand achievements. His supporters hold his silence in high regard, likening it to the wise restraint of a village elder who only speaks when there’s something truly important to say – or perhaps when his next vacation is being planned.
Yet, amidst the celebration, some Cameroonians are quietly pondering the future. Biya, who has not named a successor, has left many guessing. Discussing succession is taboo, almost like questioning the family matriarch about passing on the heirlooms before she’s ready. Cameroonians have been confined to speculations, as they have for the last four decades, on what lies ahead as Biya continues to keep this mystery under wraps.
Supporters in Cameroon’s west have already started rallying for another Biya candidacy, urging citizens from all political persuasions to join them in backing the president. In Ebolowa, the Higher Education Minister took it a step further by screening a documentary, Paul Biya: A Great Statesman with a Prodigious Destiny, where viewers learned of Biya’s “prodigious” qualities. It’s a campaign as reminiscent of community gatherings as it is of a parent telling their children why only they can handle the family land disputes.
Uganda has its own stories of long serving figures, but none has matched Biya’s talent for blending leadership with extended holidays. Whether his next term materializes or not, Cameroonians, much like Ugandans will be waiting.
