As Cameroonians prepare to head to the polls on October 12, 2025, our nation stands at a historic crossroads. The choice before us is not simply about changing a leader; it is about safeguarding the soul of our nation. The stakes could not be higher.
For many, particularly among the youth, there is a natural yearning for generational change. This is understandable — and legitimate. But the question we must all ask ourselves is: At what cost, and through what path?
The hypothesis I advance here is both sobering and urgent: If President Paul Biya does not stand as a candidate, the CPDM party — which has been the political backbone of Cameroon’s stability for decades — risks splintering into factions. Such a fracture would not simply be a political inconvenience; it would very likely ignite deep-seated rivalries and grievances, plunging Cameroon into a civil conflict that could erase fifty years of hard-won progress.
The Fragility of Unity
Cameroon is already navigating delicate fault lines: Anglophone grievances, regional and ethnic rivalries, simmering economic frustrations, and extremist threats from the north. The CPDM, under President Biya’s leadership, has managed to hold this complex mosaic of interests together. This is not a trivial achievement.
Without Biya’s authority to mediate and restrain competing factions within his own party, we risk unleashing a power struggle that will spill far beyond the walls of the party and into the streets of our towns and villages. History across Africa and beyond has shown us that when dominant parties disintegrate without a clear and legitimate succession process, the result is often bloodshed — not democracy.
Stability as the Foundation of Progress
A vote for Paul Biya in 2025 is not a vote against change — it is a vote for a managed, peaceful, and credible transition.
Only Paul Biya, with his unmatched political capital, can guarantee both the integrity of the CPDM and the stability of the nation long enough to prepare and designate a younger leader to take over under conditions of peace. To replace him now, precipitously and without preparation, would be to play dice with the lives of 27 million Cameroonians.
Some may argue that the nation cannot afford to wait. But I counter that the nation cannot afford to burn. The costs of a rushed, chaotic power struggle — including possible civil war — would fall disproportionately on the very youth calling for change today. Jobs, education, healthcare, development: all of these depend first and foremost on peace. Without peace, there is no progress.
Greater Days Ahead
What Cameroon needs today is not reckless adventure but careful stewardship. The vote for Paul Biya is the vote for greater days ahead — not because he is eternal, but because he is uniquely positioned to guide the nation toward a peaceful transfer of power when the conditions are ripe.
He alone has the experience, legitimacy, and networks to ensure that the next generation inherits a stable country rather than a battlefield. The youth of Cameroon deserve a future — but that future can only be secured if today’s stability is preserved.
Conclusion: The Path of Wisdom
On October 12, Cameroonians have a clear choice: continuity and stability under Paul Biya, or the dangerous gamble of an unprepared succession.
This is not about blind loyalty or nostalgia — it is about rational, patriotic calculation. A vote for Paul Biya is a vote to hold the center together while laying the groundwork for the Cameroon we all dream of: peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive.
The bridge to the future must be built on solid ground. Paul Biya remains the only leader capable of keeping that ground from crumbling beneath our feet.
In voting for him, we are voting for Cameroon — for our unity, for our youth, and for our destiny.
