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The planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has promised the nation's voters "the best is still to come" as he aims for his 8th consecutive term in office this weekend.

The nonagenarian has already been in power since 1982 - another seven-year term could keep him in power for half a century until he will be almost 100.

Campaign Issues

He ignored widespread calls to step down and drew backlash for attending just a single campaign event, spending most of the political race on a ten-day private trip to Europe.

Criticism regarding his use of an computer-generated campaign video, as his challengers sought constituents directly, led to his hurried travel to the northern region after coming back.

Youth Voters and Joblessness

It means that for the vast majority of the citizenry, Biya remains the sole leader they remember - more than sixty percent of the nation's thirty million people are below the age of 25.

Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "different faces" as she thinks "prolonged leadership typically causes a sort of laziness".

"After 43 years, the population are tired," she states.

Youth unemployment has been a specific issue of concern for most of the contenders running in the political race.

Nearly 40% of young Cameroonians between 15-35 are jobless, with twenty-three percent of young graduates facing challenges in obtaining official jobs.

Rival Candidates

Apart from youth unemployment, the electoral process has generated debate, especially with the removal of an opposition leader from the election contest.

The removal, confirmed by the legal authority, was broadly condemned as a ploy to stop any strong challenge to President Biya.

12 contenders were authorized to compete for the country's top job, including Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - each previous Biya allies from the north of the nation.

Election Challenges

Within the nation's Anglophone North-West and Southwest territories, where a protracted rebellion persists, an election boycott restriction has been enforced, stopping business activities, travel and schooling.

The separatists who have established it have threatened to attack individuals who does vote.

Since 2017, those seeking to create a breakaway state have been fighting official military.

The fighting has so far resulted in at no fewer than six thousand individuals and compelled almost five hundred thousand others from their homes.

Vote Outcome

Following the election, the highest court has 15 days to declare the results.

The security chief has previously cautioned that no aspirant is authorized to announce winning prior to official results.

"Candidates who will seek to announce results of the leadership vote or any personal declaration of success in violation of the rules of the nation would have crossed the red line and should be ready to receive penalties commensurate to their violation."