Cameroon opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma on Monday declared himself the winner of the Oct. 12 presidential election and urged President Paul Biya to accept defeat, even as the country awaits the official result.
“Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma, 76, said in a speech posted to Facebook from his hometown of Garoua. “The people have chosen. And this choice must be respected.”
A former government spokesperson and employment minister, Tchiroma broke with Biya earlier this year and campaigned with backing from several opposition parties and civic groups. Biya, 92, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is seeking an eighth term after 43 years in power.
Analysts had expected Biya’s grip on state institutions and a split opposition to give him an advantage despite public frustration over economic stagnation and insecurity.
Tchiroma praised voters who stayed at polling stations late to monitor counting and said some rival candidates had already congratulated him. He warned the authorities faced a choice: “Either [the regime] shows greatness by accepting the truth of the ballot box, or it chooses to plunge the country into turmoil that will leave an indelible scar.”
There was no immediate government response to his claim. Over the weekend, Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji cautioned that any unilateral publication of results would be considered “high treason,” stressing that only the Constitutional Council can announce the winner.
Under Cameroonian law, preliminary tallies may be posted at polling stations, but the Constitutional Council must validate the final outcome, with an announcement due by Oct. 26. Tchiroma said he would soon publish a region-by-region compilation of results gathered from publicly posted tallies.
“This victory is not that of one man, nor of one party. It is the victory of a people,” he said, calling on the military, security forces and administrators to remain loyal to “the republic, not the regime.”
Cameroon elects its president in a single round on a plurality basis. More than 8 million voters were registered for the poll.