Can the world's most aged president retain his position and woo a nation of young voters?
This planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured Cameroon's electorate "the future holds promise" as he pursues his 8th consecutive presidential term this weekend.
The elderly leader has stayed in office for over four decades - an additional seven-year mandate could keep him in power for 50 years until he will be almost a century old.
Campaign Issues
He ignored numerous appeals to step down and faced criticism for attending just one rally, devoting much of the political race on a week-and-a-half personal visit to the European continent.
Criticism over his use of an AI-generated election advertisement, as his rivals actively wooed voters on the ground, prompted his quick return north after coming back.
Young Voters and Joblessness
It means that for the large portion of the people, Biya is the only president they have known - over sixty percent of Cameroon's 30 million inhabitants are under the age of 25.
Youthful campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "new blood" as she maintains "prolonged leadership typically causes a kind of complacency".
"With 43 years passed, the people are weary," she says.
Youth unemployment has become a particular issue of concern for nearly all the aspirants participating in the political race.
Nearly forty percent of young citizens aged from 15 and 35 are jobless, with 23% of recent graduates encountering difficulties in finding formal employment.
Rival Contenders
In addition to young people's job issues, the voting procedure has generated controversy, especially with the disqualification of an opposition leader from the election contest.
His exclusion, upheld by the highest court, was widely criticised as a strategy to stop any serious competition to the current leader.
Twelve candidates were cleared to vie for the country's top job, featuring Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - each former Biya colleagues from the northern region of the nation.
Election Challenges
Within the nation's English-speaking North-West and Southwest territories, where a long-running insurgency continues, an poll avoidance lockdown has been enforced, stopping business activities, travel and schooling.
Insurgents who have established it have promised to target individuals who does vote.
Beginning in 2017, those seeking to create a independent territory have been battling state security.
The violence has until now killed at least 6k people and compelled almost five hundred thousand people from their homes.
Vote Outcome
After Sunday's vote, the highest court has 15 days to reveal the outcome.
The government official has earlier advised that none of the contenders is allowed to announce winning beforehand.
"Those who will seek to reveal findings of the political race or any personal declaration of success in violation of the rules of the republic would have broken rules and must prepare to face penalties commensurate to their crime."
