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The planet's most aged head of state - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has assured Cameroon's electorate "the best is still to come" as he pursues his 8th consecutive term in office this weekend.

The 92-year-old has stayed in power since 1982 - another 7-year mandate could extend his reign for half a century reaching almost 100.

Campaign Controversies

He resisted broad demands to resign and drew backlash for attending just one rally, using the majority of the election season on a 10-day personal visit to the European continent.

A backlash over his reliance on an computer-generated campaign video, as his challengers courted voters directly, saw him rush to the northern region upon his arrival.

Young Voters and Unemployment

This indicates for the vast majority of the people, Biya remains the sole leader they remember - more than sixty percent of Cameroon's 30 million inhabitants are younger than the quarter century mark.

Youthful political activist Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "different faces" as she maintains "longevity in power typically causes a type of inertia".

"Following four decades, the citizens are weary," she states.

Employment challenges for youth has become a particular talking point for nearly all the candidates participating in the vote.

Nearly forty percent of young residents aged from 15-35 are without work, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth facing challenges in obtaining official jobs.

Rival Candidates

Apart from youth unemployment, the electoral process has generated debate, especially with the exclusion of a political rival from the presidential race.

His exclusion, upheld by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a ploy to stop any serious competition to President Biya.

12 candidates were cleared to contest for the country's top job, including a former minister and another former ally - the two former Biya associates from the northern region of the nation.

Voting Difficulties

In Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, where a long-running rebellion ongoing, an election boycott restriction has been established, stopping business activities, movement and learning.

Rebel groups who have established it have promised to attack people who casts a ballot.

Since 2017, those working toward a breakaway state have been fighting state security.

The violence has to date resulted in at no fewer than 6,000 people and compelled almost five hundred thousand others from their houses.

Election Results

After Sunday's vote, the Constitutional Council has 15 days to announce the findings.

The government official has earlier advised that none of the contenders is authorized to declare victory beforehand.

"Candidates who will try to reveal findings of the presidential election or any self-proclaimed victory contrary to the laws of the country would have broken rules and need to be prepared to receive consequences commensurate to their crime."