Cameroon Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026

CAMEROON · POLITICS

Cameroon politics in October 2026 rests on one man, President Paul Biya, 93, who has ruled since 1982. For US readers it matters because a disorderly handover next to Nigeria and Chad would hit security, aid and investment.

This guide names who holds each major office as of October 2026, and what is still undecided.

Cameroon Politics at a Glance, One Ruler and a Waiting Game

Cameroon politics is built around a republic of 10 regions in which the president holds almost every lever of power. Paul Biya, 93, has held the office since 6 November 1982.

The Constitutional Council, the court that certifies elections, declared Biya the winner of the 12 October 2025 vote on 27 October 2025. It gave him 53.66% of the ballots, according to Hespress.

The runner-up, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, received 35.19% and rejects the result.

Cabral Libii finished third with 3.41%, and Bello Bouba Maïgari fourth with 2.45%. Hermine Patricia Tomaïno Ndam Njoya took 1.66%, on a turnout of 46.31%.

Almost every senior post is filled by presidential decree, so Cameroon politics is mostly the story of one man and his circle. The open questions are his health, his successor and the new government.

The President and His Circle at Etoudi

Biya governs from the Etoudi presidential palace in Yaoundé, the capital. He names the prime minister, the ministers and the generals.

Joseph Dion Ngute is prime minister. In September 2026 he met religious and traditional leaders from the English-speaking regions in Yaoundé, according to Benin Web TV.

On 31 December 2025 Biya said a new government would be formed in the coming days. By 6 October 2026 none had been named, Al Jazeera reported.

Dion Ngute was still listed as prime minister in late August 2026, Benin Web TV reported.

Biya spent more than ten weeks abroad this summer and returned to Yaoundé on 20 August 2026, the presidency’s website says. On 2 August 2026 government spokesman René Emmanuel Sadi said the president was alive and that there was no vacancy of power.

Who Else Matters in the Cabinet

Louis Paul Motaze is finance minister, and Alamine Ousmane Mey is economy minister.

On 13 October 2026 Mey signed a loan agreement of 139.2 billion CFA francs (about US$238 million) in Bangkok. It funds the Douala-Bafoussam road, Investir au Cameroun reported.

Motaze put the cost of holding pump prices steady at 57 billion CFA francs (about US$98 million) for September 2026. Ministers hold power only as far as the president lets them.

The Succession Question and the Empty Vice Presidency

Parliament approved a constitutional change on 4 April 2026 that restores the post of vice president. The holder is appointed by the president and would be first in the line of succession.

As of October 2026 no vice president has been named, Al Jazeera reported on 17 October 2026. The amendment sets no deadline.

Koaci reported on 7 October 2026, citing Africa Intelligence, that networks around possible successors each hope to control the handover through the new post. The report adds that part of the elite sees Franck Biya, the president’s eldest son, as the most reassuring choice for stability.

For the legal detail, see the Rio Times guide to Cameroon succession rules. Our news report on Cabral Libii’s warning covers the debate.

The Ruling Party and Parliament

The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, known as the RDPC, is Biya’s party and dominates Cameroon politics in parliament.

In the 2020 vote it won 152 of the 180 seats in the National Assembly, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The Assembly’s mandate was extended to 20 December 2026, the same source says. The next elections must fall between 29 January and 19 April 2027.

On 17 March 2026 deputies elected Théodore Datouo, 65, an RDPC member from the West region, as speaker. He took 133 of 147 votes and succeeded Cavaye Yéguié Djibril, who had held the post for 34 years, according to Afrik.

The Senate has 100 members, of whom 70 are elected indirectly and 30 are appointed by the president. Aboubakary Abdoulaye, 64, the traditional ruler of Rey-Bouba, was elected Senate president on 17 March 2026 with every vote cast, Afrik reported.

Opposition Parties and Their Leaders

Issa Tchiroma Bakary leads the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC) and rejects the result of the 2025 vote. He took refuge in Nigeria and then in Banjul, The Gambia, in November 2025.

Cameroon Tribune noted on 14 October 2026 that his legal actions abroad have gained little.

Cabral Libii leads the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN), which won 5 seats in the Assembly in 2020. Bello Bouba Maïgari’s National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) won 7 seats, the most of any opposition party.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF), once the main opposition force in Cameroon politics, won 5 seats in 2020. Its national president, Joshua Osih, said on 23 July 2026 that the party would accept no further delay to legislative and municipal elections, allAfrica reported.

The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) is the party of Maurice Kamto, a former presidential candidate.

A party convention on 17 October 2026 elected Tiriane Balbine Noah as president. Willy Mengue still contests the result, Journal du Cameroun reported on 19 October.

The Army, the Police and the Intelligence Service

General René Claude Meka, 87, was kept as chief of the defence staff in August 2026, Koaci reported. His new deputy, General Hippolyte Ebaka, 73, replaced General Hector Marie Tchemo.

Biya signed those decrees on 3 August 2026 while abroad, Daba Finance reported. Raymond Beko’o Abongo, promoted to brigadier general, kept command of the Presidential Guard.

Brigadier General Elie Romance Mezui Zo’o was named to lead the Rapid Intervention Brigade, which is used in counter-insurgency operations.

Maxime Eko Eko, the former head of the external intelligence service (DGRE), is on trial for complicity in torture. The Yaoundé military tribunal is hearing the 2023 killing of radio journalist Martínez Zogo, Afrik reported on 1 September 2026.

The armed forces face two threats. The US State Department describes separatist violence in the North-West and South-West regions and Boko Haram attacks in the Far North.

Courts, Governors and the Regions

The Constitutional Council has been working since February 2018, according to Cameroun Actuel. Its first president, Clément Atangana, died in Paris on 4 October 2026 at the age of 84, Journal du Cameroun reported.

On 16 October 2026 Biya named Rémy Nama, a senior magistrate who served as a special assignment officer at the presidency, to replace him. The council is the court that certifies elections.

Cameroon politics also plays out in the regions.

Each of the 10 regions has a governor. In the North-West, Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique said security measures were in place for the school reopening on 7 September 2026, Benin Web TV reported.

Separatist groups imposed a one-week lockdown there from that day, and attendance in one district’s secondary schools reached only 47.23%. The conflict in the English-speaking regions has lasted since 2017.

What It Means for US Readers

The US State Department rates Cameroon at Level 2, “exercise increased caution,” in an advisory issued on 15 May 2026.

It tells Americans not to travel to the Southwest, Northwest and Far North regions. The same warning covers a 20-kilometre strip along the borders with Chad, Nigeria and the Central African Republic.

For investors and aid groups, the main risk in Cameroon politics is a disorderly handover at the top. Readers who want the economic picture can turn to the Rio Times guide on who runs Cameroon’s economy.

The wider picture sits on the Rio Times Cameroon page.

The country’s regional role is covered in Cameroon’s role in Africa. Our news report on Cabral Libii’s warning covers the succession debate.

What Is Not Known

No date has been given for a new government, and the cabinet promised for 31 December 2025 has not appeared. Nor is there a date for Biya to name a vice president.

Nobody can say who would take over if the president could no longer serve before a vice president is named.

Seat counts for the next Assembly cannot be foreseen, because the vote has no fixed date inside the legal window. Whether Tchiroma can return and compete is also open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the president of Cameroon in 2026?

In Cameroon politics, Paul Biya, 93, has been president since 6 November 1982. The Constitutional Council declared him winner of the 12 October 2025 election with 53.66% of the vote.

Who is the prime minister of Cameroon?

Joseph Dion Ngute, who was still listed as prime minister in September 2026.

How is Cameroon politics shaped by the vice presidency?

In Cameroon politics, a change approved on 4 April 2026 restored an appointed vice president. As of October 2026 the post is empty.

Which parties hold seats in the National Assembly?

The RDPC holds 152 of 180 seats, according to the 2020 results from the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The UNDP has 7, the PCRN and SDF 5 each, and the UDC 4.

Is it safe for Americans to travel to Cameroon?

The State Department rates Cameroon at Level 2 overall, as of May 2026. It tells Americans not to travel to the Southwest, Northwest and Far North regions.

Who is the opposition leader in Cameroon?

In Cameroon politics, Issa Tchiroma Bakary placed second in the 2025 election with 35.19% and lives in exile in The Gambia. Cabral Libii, who finished third, leads the PCRN.

Sources: Hespress, Cameroon presidential results (Constitutional Council, 27 October 2025), 2025-10-27; Inter-Parliamentary Union, Cameroon National Assembly, 2026-10-22; Inter-Parliamentary Union, Cameroon National Assembly election 2020, 2026-10-22; Inter-Parliamentary Union, Cameroon Senate, 2026-10-22; US Department of State, Cameroon travel advisory, 2026-05-15; Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, 2026-10-22; Afrik, Parliament leadership change, 2026-03-18; Koaci, army chiefs, 2026-08-05; Cameroun Actuel, Constitutional Council appointments, 2026-10-16; Journal du Cameroun, death of Clement Atangana, 2026-10-04; Cameroon Tribune, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 2026-10-14; Benin Web TV, back-to-school lockdown, 2026-09-09; Al Jazeera, Cameroonians await government reshuffle after Biya’s return, 2026-10-17; Investir au Cameroun, 2026-10-22; Journal du Cameroun, MRC and Constitutional Council headlines, 2026-10-22; Koaci, succession debate, 2026-10-07; Daba Finance, military decrees, 2026-08-11; Afrik, Eko Eko trial, 2026-09-01; allAfrica, Joshua Osih press conference, 2026-07-23; allAfrica, Sadi interview, 2026-08-03; Benin Web TV, new government not announced, 2026-08-26.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief