By Synthia Lateu
13 candidates have been retained out of the 83 who submitted their files to run in the 2025 presidential election in Cameroon. The national elections body, ELECAM, led by its Chairperson Enow Abrams Egbe, officially announced the list during a highly publicized ceremony held on July 26.
Notably, Tomaino Hermine Patricia epse Ndam Njoya of the Union Démocratique du Cameroun (UDC) is the only female candidate on the list. According to ELECAM, of the 2025 submissions, 76 candidates were men (91%) and 7 were women (9%), highlighting the persistent gender imbalance in political participation.
Tomaino Hermine Patricia, became the second woman to formalize her intention to run by submitting her candidacy file for this year’s elections. The mayor of Foumban and political heir of her late husband, Adamou Ndam Njoya, former national president of the UDC, brings a unique profile to the race. She also manages a coffee enterprise and has served since 2016 as president of the Association of Cameroonian Women in Coffee (AFECC).
The final list of retained candidates also features a mix of newcomers and familiar political figures. Among the new faces are Dzipan Hilaire Macaire of the Mouvement Progressiste (MP), Ateki Seta Caxton of the Parti de l’Alliance Libérale (PAL), and Issa Tchiroma of the Front pour le Salut National du Cameroun (FSNC), a former close ally of the ruling CPDM regime.
Veteran names also reappear, most notably incumbent President Paul Biya, who is seeking re-election after 43 years in power. Other returning candidates from the 2018 race include Matomba Serge Espoir (PURS), Osih Joshua Nambangi (SDF), and Libii Li Ngue Ngue Cabral (PCRN).
This year’s presidential race witnessed an unprecedented surge in candidacies, with 55 more files submitted, compared to 2018.
However, among the candidatures rejected, was Maurice Kamto, whose candidacy under MANIDEM, following his resignation from the CRM, sparked significant controversy and public debate over its legality. His bid was highly anticipated, with many supporters closely watching ELECAM’s decision, given his strong showing in the 2018 elections. Despite the expectations, his candidacy was ultimately rejected.
The UPC party also faced major setbacks, with all three of its candidates rejected. Of the parties that submitted multiple candidates including CPDM (2), MANIDEM (2), UPC (3), and UNIVERS (2)—only CPDM and UNIVERS had their candidates retained.
