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This world's oldest leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he aims for his eighth straight presidential term this weekend.

The 92-year-old has stayed in power for over four decades - another seven-year term could extend his reign for 50 years reaching almost a century old.

Campaign Controversies

He defied numerous appeals to resign and has been criticised for only showing up for a single campaign event, using the majority of the campaign period on a week-and-a-half private trip to the European continent.

Negative reaction regarding his reliance on an artificial intelligence created political commercial, as his challengers actively wooed voters directly, led to his hurried travel north after coming back.

Young Population and Joblessness

This indicates for the large portion of the population, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they experienced - more than 60% of the nation's thirty million people are below the quarter century mark.

Youthful political activist Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "new blood" as she thinks "longevity in power inevitably leads to a kind of laziness".

"With 43 years passed, the people are exhausted," she states.

Youth unemployment has been a particular talking point for nearly all the candidates participating in the vote.

Almost 40% of young residents aged from 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with 23% of young graduates experiencing problems in securing formal employment.

Opposition Contenders

Apart from youth unemployment, the election system has generated dispute, especially with the disqualification of Maurice Kamto from the election contest.

The removal, upheld by the highest court, was broadly condemned as a ploy to block any significant opposition to President Biya.

12 aspirants were authorized to vie for the presidency, including a former minister and a previous supporter - both ex- Biya allies from the north of the country.

Election Difficulties

Within the nation's English-speaking Northwest and South-West territories, where a protracted insurgency continues, an election boycott closure has been enforced, paralysing commercial operations, movement and education.

Insurgents who have enforced it have warned to harm anyone who participates.

Since 2017, those seeking to create a separate nation have been battling official military.

The conflict has until now killed at no fewer than six thousand individuals and forced nearly five hundred thousand others from their homes.

Election Results

Once polling concludes, the Constitutional Council has fifteen days to declare the findings.

The security chief has already warned that none of the contenders is permitted to declare victory in advance.

"Candidates who will seek to declare outcomes of the leadership vote or any personal declaration of success in violation of the regulations of the nation would have broken rules and need to be prepared to encounter retaliatory measures commensurate to their crime."