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This planet's oldest head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged the nation's electorate "the future holds promise" as he pursues his eighth consecutive presidential term on Sunday.

The 92-year-old has remained in power since 1982 - an additional 7-year mandate could keep him in power for half a century until he will be almost 100.

Election Issues

He ignored numerous appeals to resign and faced criticism for attending just one rally, devoting much of the election season on a ten-day unofficial journey to Europe.

Negative reaction over his reliance on an AI-generated election advertisement, as his opponents actively wooed voters in person, led to his hurried travel to the northern region upon his arrival.

Young Population and Joblessness

This indicates for the great bulk of the citizenry, Biya is the only president they experienced - over sixty percent of the nation's thirty million inhabitants are younger than the age of 25.

Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "fresh leadership" as she believes "prolonged leadership naturally results in a type of inertia".

"With 43 years passed, the people are tired," she says.

Young people's joblessness has become a specific issue of concern for nearly all the candidates participating in the political race.

Nearly forty percent of youthful citizens between 15-35 are jobless, with 23% of recent graduates encountering difficulties in obtaining regular work.

Opposition Candidates

Apart from youth unemployment, the voting procedure has created controversy, particularly regarding the removal of Maurice Kamto from the presidential race.

His exclusion, upheld by the highest court, was broadly condemned as a ploy to prevent any serious competition to the current leader.

A dozen candidates were approved to vie for the leadership position, including Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - the two ex- Biya associates from the north of the country.

Election Difficulties

Within the nation's Anglophone North-West and South-West regions, where a long-running insurgency persists, an election boycott lockdown has been established, halting commercial operations, movement and schooling.

The separatists who have enforced it have promised to target individuals who participates.

Since 2017, those working toward a breakaway state have been battling state security.

The conflict has so far resulted in at least 6,000 lives and caused almost five hundred thousand others from their residences.

Vote Outcome

Once polling concludes, the highest court has 15 days to reveal the findings.

The security chief has already warned that no aspirant is allowed to announce winning in advance.

"Individuals who will seek to declare outcomes of the political race or any personal declaration of success contrary to the rules of the republic would have violated boundaries and should be ready to encounter retaliatory measures commensurate to their offense."