Cameroonian refugees and residents in Calabar, Cross River State, have urged President Paul Biya, 92, to concede defeat in the recently concluded presidential election, which early tallies indicate was won by opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 76.
Bakary and his supporters have already called for his swearing-in, insisting they won the October 12, 2025 election fairly.
President Biya, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, has ruled Cameroon since April 1982, following the exit of President Ahmadou Ahidjo, and was seeking an eighth term in office.
Cameroon is next door neighbour to Nigeria by the eastern flank.
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Speaking in Calabar on Tuesday, several Cameroonian citizens, many of whom fled the Ambazonian insurgency in the country’s southwest since 2014, warned Biya’s handlers to “put Cameroon’s interest above personal ambition” and avert further international embarrassment.
According to them, Biya is hardly aware or in tune with contemporary happenings in their country.
“Now we have an election where a candidate has clearly defeated Paul Biya. There’s no need to twist the results again. Let Bakary be sworn in after 43 years for the sake of change,” said Clemence Nchongo, 60.
The refugees, whose population in Calabar has grown significantly in recent years, alleged that Biya no longer governs directly and that a cabal has been manipulating state processes in his name. They called on Elections Cameroon and the Constitutional Council to validate the results in the nation’s interest.
Another respondent, Frances Clemence, estimated that Cameroonian nationals in Cross River could number over 2,000, stressing that “the people’s will must be respected.”
However, the Cameroonian government has maintained that only the Constitutional Council has authority to declare a winner and warned that premature victory claims could amount to high treason.
In Ikom, in central Cross River State, two other respondents, Denise Yawun and Marie Ntui, criticised what they called “France-controlled governance” in Cameroon.
They expressed relief that they could now voice their opinions freely from Nigeria.
“We need a new president. Biya never campaigned; he’s too old and has been confined abroad. Let’s move away from this political prison,” said Marie. “Bakary has won. They should swear him in and let Cameroon breathe fresh air.”
Ntui, a teacher, added that rejecting Bakary’s victory could further inflame the separatist conflict. “Removing Biya is the first step toward ending the Ambazonian armed struggle,” he stated.
