8, April 2026

Etoudi debunks report of Biya appointing his son as vice president 0

by • Cameroon, Headline News, Politics

Cameroon has debunked reports of President Paul Biya appointing Franck Biya, his son, as vice president.

The reports began to circulate on Saturday after the Cameroonian parliament overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to reintroduce the position of vice president.

The lawmakers voted 200 to 18 in favour, with four abstentions, to pass the bill.

The bill stipulates that the vice president will automatically assume the presidency if Biya dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated.

Biya, 93, has led the country since ⁠1982 and is the world’s oldest serving head of state. The president is rarely seen in public, and discussion about ​his health is banned.

The viral reports claimed Franck was named vice president and head of the country’s military authority.

According to the reports, the order was contained in the legislation.

But in a copy of the bill indicates, no such appointment was given to Franck. His name was also not mentioned in the document.

The legislation mandates that the vice president will be appointed and dismissed by the president, serving for the remainder of the president’s seven-year term.

However, the interim leader would be prohibited from initiating constitutional changes or running in a subsequent election.

Officials of Cameroon’s ministry of foreign affairs debunked the reports of Franck’s appointment.

“On April 4 2026, the Cameroonian Parliament adopted a historic constitutional amendment creating the post of Vice-President of the Republic,” the ministry said in a statement.

“But the Vice-President has to be appointed by the Head of State to ensure the continuity of power.

“Till date, no one has been appointed to that position.”

Cameroonian media also did not report Franck’s alleged appointment, neither did the country’s presidency nor the national assembly.

The vice presidency was previously part of Cameroon’s governance structure but was abolished in 1972 ​following a constitutional referendum.

Source: The Cable