Opposition presidential candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has announced plans to publish ‘original’ polling station reports to prove his victory in Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election.

He said this while challenging early trends that favor incumbent President Paul Biya.

In a statement released Sunday, Tchiroma said, “To ensure transparency and prevent any manipulation, our campaign team will, in the coming hours, release electoral trends based on the official polling station reports (PVs) signed at the polling sites and transmitted by our scrutineers.”

Tchiroma, who leads the National Salvation Front (FSNC) and is backed by the Union for Change, a coalition of opposition parties, is mounting a direct challenge to Biya, the long-serving president and leader of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Biya has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and is seeking another term amid growing calls for reform.

The National Commission for the General Counting of Votes has yet to announce official results, but preliminary trends suggest Biya is ahead.

Tchiroma’s campaign disputes this, citing data from 18 strategic departments that represent nearly 80% of the national electorate.

“These departments include Wouri, Mfoundi, Bénoué, Diamaré, Mayo-Danay, Mayo-Tsanaga, Vina, Logone-et-Chari, Mungo, Noun, Mayo-Louti, Mayo-Kani, Mayo-Sava, Menoua, Mifi, Mayo-Rey, Lom-et-Djérem, and Lékié,” the statement noted.

Tchiroma emphasized the credibility of his methodology: “It is based on official polling station reports, which are verifiable. Every figure published will be accompanied by documented proof to prevent any dispute.”

He called on the international community and Cameroonians to monitor the trends closely: “They represent the people’s voice and must neither be stolen nor manipulated. Together, we shall defend the truth of the ballot box!”

Meanwhile, tensions are rising across the country.

In the Far North city of Garoua, supporters have formed a civilian-led security unit to protect Tchiroma, declaring, “We will not let anything happen to our leader, we are here to protect him.”

Security forces have reported violent protests in Dschang, Garoua, and other cities.

The Gendarmerie released images of paramilitary drills and stated, “These acts of violence, perpetrated by protesters who claim victory for their candidate, have caused significant damage to property and loss of human life.”

In a bid to calm tensions, the National Council of Traditional Chiefs of Cameroon issued a joint statement urging restraint. Signed by National President Tsala Ndzomo Guy and Secretary General Fon Chafah, the release reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability as the nation awaits the Constitutional Council’s official proclamation.

As the political standoff intensifies, all eyes remain on the release of Tchiroma’s polling station reports and the Constitutional Council’s final verdict, expected in one week.

Source: Daily Trust

The Constitutional Council will announce the results of the presidential election this Thursday, October 23, in a formal hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Yaoundé Convention Center. Cameroonians will know the new president elected for a seven-year term. This event will mark a decisive step in Cameroon’s political life, following a dynamic campaign and genuine enthusiasm across the political spectrum.

The Constitutional Council of Cameroon, the only institution authorized by law to announce the results of the October 12 presidential election, will present the results of the election on Thursday, October 23, in a formal hearing scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Yaoundé Convention Center. The expected results will symbolize the strong mobilization of Cameroonians during the vote on October 12, 2025, following an election that presented a dual aspect: the territorial anchorage of President Paul Biya, but also a very strong opposition dynamic, which already foreshadows the stakes of the upcoming electoral contests, particularly the legislative elections.

“In Cameroon, the results are processed manually, which is why it takes a certain amount of time for all the results from the minutes collected at the polling stations to reach the departmental supervisory commissions; for the departmental supervisory commission to have time to process them manually; and then for these minutes to be centralized at the National Commission for the General Vote Counting, which also takes the time to process the data before transmitting them to the Constitutional Council for review, processing, and publication of the results.”

Jean Paul Ntsengue, Electoral Expert – Cameroon

Elecam, whose work was welcomed by all parties with satisfaction in the conduct of the vote, had an obligation to demonstrate robustness in the transmission of results and compliance with the electoral process, after the closing of the polling stations. From the counting of votes in each polling station and the transmission of the minutes to the local voting commission, then to the departmental supervision commission, all the way to the National Commission for the General Vote Counting. Each support also raised its share of disputes. While all candidates are represented in all these committees to ensure transparency, the transfer of the work to the Constitutional Council, which had a 15-day deadline before the publication of the final results, is facing a stance from the opposition, which disputes the potential results with a suspicion of a victory for President Paul Biya.

“These deadlines must be respected because, in a manual process, they are what allow for secure results.”

Jean Paul Ntsengue, Electoral Expert – Cameroon

While the wait for the results has generated its share of tension and acts of civil disobedience, all political actors, without exception, advocate respect for citizens, civil peace, and, above all, the rejection of violence between citizens. These numerous calls for a peaceful and responsible Cameroon will be a real challenge for the President-elect at the end of this process: to listen to the message of the people in their desire for a genuine and sincere transformation of the daily lives of Cameroonians, a country that seeks to be an example in all circumstances for Africa.

Source: Africa24

Following Cameroon’s presidential election on 12 October, both parties have claimed victory, despite official results not expected for another week. In the port city of Garoua in northern Cameroon, supporters of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary are keeping watch outside the former minister’s house, wary that President Paul Biya’s government could order his arrest.

Young Cameroonians, both men and women, take turns day and night on the forecourt of Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s home in Garoua, armed with slats and clubs. They are there to protect the opposition leader from arrest after he challenged the outcome of Sunday’s election.

Hassana Tchiroma is a relative of Issa Tchiroma:

‘Minister Tchiroma simply had enough of the hostile rhetoric coming from President Biya’s entourage.’

The inhabitants of Garoua have organised themselves so that one group can keep watch at night and another during the day. They are also calling for 92-year-old President Biya to resign after 43 years in power.

‘Cameroonians are suffering,” says Moussa Iya Mohaman Adama, a resident of Garoua. “If you see the young people out there, you have to understand that we are tired. We are graduates and we have no work. We need to change the country. We want change from north to south, from east to west. We don’t want war. Sorry, Papa Biya, you have to hand over power to the people.”

Following the October 12 election, violent demonstrations shook the city when young people who joined the procession of Garoua’s strongman were dispersed by riot police.

“It was the people who made the decision to protect Minister Tchiroma and his home,” says Hassana Tchiroma, speaking outside the minister’s home.

“You see, we didn’t do anything, and when we returned the other day, on the day of the vote, we found riot police and lots of gendarmes at the crossroads at the entrance to the minister’s home. But we did everything we could to get three vehicles through and disperse the others. It was the next day that the minister was finally able to return to his home, and since then he has been confined to his residence. Everything he does, his statements and everything else, is done from his home.”

The situation remains tense in Garoua, a city under siege. Issa Tchiroma claimed victory in an address to Cameroonians from his home on Monday.

Source: Africa News

Cameroon’s National Commission for the final counting of votes for the presidential election began the final tally on Friday, according to the country’s electoral body, Elections Cameroon.

According to the electoral code, the 25-member commission has up to five days to count and compile the results from 31,653 polling stations before submitting the provisional results to the Constitutional Council, which will then announce the final results after hearing petitions from voters or candidates.

On Thursday, the council announced that three candidates, several voters, and a non-governmental organization had filed 11 petitions demanding that the presidential election be annulled because it was not free and fair.

The Constitutional Council is expected to announce the final results of the election on or before Oct. 27. The presidential election took place in the Central African nation on Oct. 12.

Source: Xinhuanet

The governing party in Cameroon said Thursday that one of its offices was set on fire as tensions rise over fraud allegations in the Oct. 12 presidential election.

Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory this week and urged President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president at 92, to concede. Biya’s party has rejected Tchiroma’s claim of victory and accused the opposition candidate of trying to disrupt the electoral process. The constitutional court is expected to announce the final official results by Oct. 26.

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Tchiroma alleged Wednesday that there were signs of vote tampering, echoing civil society groups’ earlier reports of “several irregularities,” including attempted ballot stuffing.

The office of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement in the western city of Dschang was set ablaze Wednesday night, and videos of the burning building were shared widely on social media and in local news outlets.

The party’s secretary general, Jean Nkuete, said in a statement the party will “initiate legal action against the individuals found guilty of the fire.”

Tensions escalate

Pockets of protests broke out Wednesday night in several cities over the allegations of election fraud.

Dozens of protesters in the economic capital, Douala, located in Wouri department, erected barricades on the roads and set them on fire while security forces used tear gas and water cannon to disperse them. No deaths or injuries have been reported yet.

Some protested outside the office of Elections Cameroon, or ELECAM, the independent electoral management body.

The Prefect of Wouri, Sylyac Marie Mvogo, said police arrested a score of people who tried to force themselves into the building and allegedly attacked employees.

“We don’t want people taking the law into their own hands. There are competent authorities responsible for handling election matters,” Mvogo, told the state-run radio CRTV.

Analysts have predicted a victory for Biya as the opposition remained divided and his strongest rival was barred from running in August. Eleven opposition candidates were on the ballot.

Tchiroma, who is in his late 70s, was a government spokesperson and employment minister under Biya but quit the government earlier this year to launch his presidential run. His campaign drew large crowds and backing from a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups.

Biya has been in power since 1982, nearly half his lifetime, making him Cameroon’s second president since independence from France in 1960.

During Biya’s decades in power, the Central African nation of nearly 30 million people has struggled with challenges from a deadly secessionist movement in the west and chronic corruption that has stifled development despite rich natural resources like oil and minerals.

Source: AP

As the counting of the votes of last Sunday’s presidential election is underway at ELECAM, Cameroon’s election body, the French are not waiting for things to totally deteriorate before they step in.

The first figures point to a landslide by Mr. Issa Tchiroma Bakary who incarnates the population’s determination to change a system which has robbed them of their dignity and happiness.

According to a source at ELECAM which has elected anonymity, more than three million votes have already been computed and Mr. Issa Tchiroma has already won more than half of those votes.

Sunday’s vote is clearly a protest vote against the incumbent, Paul Biya, who has been in power for 43 years and has only succeeded to create poverty and misery for his people.

The French, who have been facing mounting opposition in French-speaking African countries, are scared of losing Cameroon seeing the population’s determination to kick out Mr. Biya who has enjoyed French protection for decades.

To stave off such a situation, they are negotiating behind the scenes for a peaceful transition which will protect their interest in the Central African country. With Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso out of the French orbit, there is increasing concern in Paris about the situation in Cameroon. The French hold Issa Tchiroma is a moderate and he is capable of protecting their interest having schooled and lived in France.

The French have seen the writing on the wall and they know that in the event of chaos, French interest will be threatened and in their opinion, Mr. Biya has overstayed his welcome in Yaoundé.

It should be underscored that Mr. Tchiroma’s communication during the election campaign was run by a private French firm and Paris is leveraging that connection to stay in touch with Mr. Tchiroma. 

The Biya regime is aware of that and it is already irate. The French want Biya out as he clearly belongs to the past. French interest in Cameroon is more important than Biya who is more of a liability given his age and health condition.

Sunday’s exit polls have left the Elysee very concerned and the determination demonstrated by northerners to protect Issa Tchiroma in the event of chaos is indeed awful.

Several opposition parties have already congratulated Mr. Tchiroma and the population is ready to face the military if the government resorts to its old ways. Northerners are prepared to defend their victory and they are calling on their southern brothers to act accordingly if they do not want the country to be split.

The French fear that if the North splits from the rest of the country, Anglophone separatists might take advantage of the situation to continue their fight for an independent Southern Cameroons.

A French delegation is expected at the Unity Palace soon to persuade Mr. Biya to accept the decision of the ballot boxes as a way for him to have an honorable exit from power. Mr. Biya who is in the grip of regime hawks such as Atanga Nji, Fame Ndongo and Chantal Biya, still believes that old crooked ways could still keep him in power for another seven years.

Meanwhile, there are fundraising efforts in North America and Europe to prepare for any eventuality as the Yaoundé regime is still doubling down. More than USD 500,000 has already been raised in just a day, with most donors being anonymous.

A new movement known as Gen-Z Cameroon is also underway to prepare Cameroonians for the worst if the Biya regime usurps power. Demonstrations are being planned across the country after the release of the election results if Mr. Biya is declared a winner.

This is a developing story and more will be yours as our inside sources inform us.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

A covert operation is in motion to declare the 92-year-old Biya as winner of the October 12 presidential election, Cameroon Intelligence Report investigative team has uncovered.

The diabolic harsh ploy and high-stakes battle are being implemented and waged by a consortium of CPDM crime syndicates with the support of a  coalition of political powerbrokers, governors and traditional rulers, who are determined to guarantee Biya’s continued stay in power.

Some few hours ago, the South West governor’s office released a document claiming to be the official South West result in which Biya reportedly defeated his main challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

But Cameroonians are watching. Democracy advocates, political commentators, and even ordinary citizens are beginning to push back. Will their voices be enough to stop this plot before it is too late?

Cat-calls have greeted the South West so-called results that were published in the French language with many wondering aloud why ELECAM officials in the South West who are all Anglophones should be releasing presidential election results in French.

As news of the South West region result spreads, reactions from Cameroonians have been swift and angry. From the streets of Garoua where Issa Tchiroma’s residence was cordoned off to online discussions, citizens are voicing their anger.

‘If they rig 2025, Cameroon will explode! We cannot keep watching them destroy our homeland’ an aide to Issa Tchiroma told Cameroon Intelligence Report

‘These CPDM criminals think we don’t know what they are doing, but we do. The political class wants us to believe that Cameroon is Biya and Biya is Cameroon! We must resist it’ a Douala based activist said.

‘They promised us that ELECAM will be independent, but what we are getting is an ELECAM that is run by the Minister of Territorial Administration. Cameroon is being hijacked!’ Rita Akana our Yaoundé city reporter observed.

‘Why are they afraid of releasing the election results after a process that went smoothly? If you say Biya has done well, you won’t need to manipulate ELECAM’ an Issa Tchiroma supporter was quoted as saying.

These voices represent the growing frustration among Cameroonians who feel betrayed by a political class that continuously undermines democracy and the rule of law.

The clock is ticking. Will Cameroonians let their votes be stolen before they are even counted?

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files