Will the world's oldest president keep his title and woo a country of young electorate?
The world's oldest leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's voters "the best is still to come" as he seeks his 8th straight term in office on Sunday.
The 92-year-old has remained in office since 1982 - an additional seven-year mandate could see him rule for 50 years making him almost a century old.
Campaign Controversies
He defied broad demands to step down and faced criticism for only showing up for a single campaign event, spending most of the political race on a ten-day private trip to the European continent.
A backlash over his dependence on an artificial intelligence created election advertisement, as his rivals sought voters directly, saw him rush to the northern region on his return home.
Youth Voters and Joblessness
This indicates for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they remember - over sixty percent of the nation's 30 million residents are younger than the quarter century mark.
Youthful advocate Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "new blood" as she maintains "longevity in power typically causes a kind of inertia".
"After 43 years, the people are exhausted," she states.
Young people's joblessness remains a particular talking point for the majority of the contenders participating in the election.
Almost forty percent of youthful residents between 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates experiencing problems in finding official jobs.
Rival Contenders
In addition to youth unemployment, the election system has generated dispute, particularly regarding the exclusion of Maurice Kamto from the election contest.
The removal, approved by the highest court, was widely criticised as a strategy to block any strong challenge to President Biya.
Twelve contenders were cleared to contest for the leadership position, including an ex-government official and a previous supporter - the two previous Biya associates from the northern region of the country.
Election Challenges
In Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and South-West territories, where a long-running separatist conflict persists, an election boycott closure has been established, paralysing business activities, movement and learning.
The separatists who have imposed it have promised to harm anyone who casts a ballot.
Starting four years ago, those working toward a independent territory have been battling government forces.
The conflict has so far killed at least 6k individuals and forced nearly half a million people from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Following the election, the Constitutional Council has two weeks to reveal the results.
The interior minister has already warned that none of the contenders is allowed to announce winning in advance.
"Candidates who will seek to reveal findings of the presidential election or any unofficial win announcement against the regulations of the republic would have broken rules and should be ready to face consequences appropriate for their crime."
