October 12’25 : 81 Candidates Declare for Presidential Race
By Synthia Lateu
The 2025 presidential election in Cameroon has seen an unprecedented surge in candidacies. By the close of the submission deadline at midnight on July 21, a total of 81 contenders had officially declared their intention to run, according to the list released by the General Directorate of Elections shortly after the deadline. These declarations were made at ELECAM branches across the country, marking a historic moment in the nation’s electoral process.
The spike is especially striking when compared to the 2018 presidential election, which saw only 29 candidacies submitted at this stage. Many Cameroonians attribute this surge to a widespread desire for political change, amid growing public frustration with the current climate and surprise over the renewed bid for power by the 92-year-old incumbent.
Political analysts note that the current legal and administrative framework allows for such a high number of candidacy submissions. However, some of the candidates whether representing political parties or running independently have been largely absent from the political scene since the last election.
Concerns have also emerged over the eligibility of certain candidates. Notably, some political parties have multiple candidates submitting separate files, including CPDM (2), MANIDEM (2), UPC (3), and UNIVERS (2). The list includes both prominent political figures and relatively unknown individuals.
In the coming days, the Elections Cameroon will begin reviewing wapplications and will publish the official list of qualified candidates. According to Article 126 of the Electoral Code, this list must be made public no later than August 11, 2025, exactly 60 days before the scheduled election date of October 12.
This verification stage is critical, as it determines who will actually appear on the ballot. Any irregularities or missing documentation can lead to a file being rejected.
Following this, the appeal phase will open on August 12 and 13, in accordance with Article 129. Disqualified candidates will have three days to contest the rejection of their candidacy before the Constitutional Council. If a disqualified candidate was representing a political party, Article 130 permits the party to nominate a replacement within two days. This phase will ne done at the Constitutional Council.
