Incumbent President Paul Biya, candidate of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) will once more rule Cameroon for the next seven years following the landslide victory he scored in the October 7, 2018 presidential election with 2, 521, 934 of the votes cast representing 71.28 per cent. The President of Cameroon’s Constitutional Council, Clément Atangana in solemn Council session to proclaim the election results that took place at the Inaugural Hall of the Yaounde Conference Centre on October 22, 2018 declared President Paul Biya President-elect.

He was followed by the new comer in the presidential race, Maurice Kamto, candidate of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) who had 503, 384 of the votes cast representing 14.23 per cent. Another new comer and one of the youngest candidates in the October 7, 2018 presidential election, Cabral Libii Li Ngué Ngué, candidate of the UNIVERSE party came third, scoring 221,995 votes representing 6.28 per cent.

Barrister Akere Muna, candidate of the Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), one of the new comers came last with 12 262 of the votes cast representing 0.35 per cent. On the eve of the election, Akere Muna said he was withdrawing from the race and declared support for Maurice Kamto. The historic event was witnessed live by senior State dignitaries prominent among who were the Speaker of the National Assem bly, Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, President of the Economic and Social Council, some cabinet ministers, Chief Justice and Procureur General of the Supreme Court, some members of the diplomatic representations, political, religious and civil society leaders and a cross section of the population. Knowing who among the nine candidates would be declared President –elect was important.

But more importantly, it was necessary to know the scores each candidate had in each of the 58 Divisions in Cameroon and four zones that are: Africa, Europe, America and Asia where Cameroonians in the Diaspora voted for the President of the Republic. It was for this reason that the President of the Constitutional Council, Clément Atangana shared the reading of the results between two members of the Council.

Jean Baptiste Baskouda read the detail results of the Adamawa, Centre, East, Far North and Littoral Regions as well as those of Cameroonians in the Diaspora. Another Council member, Ahmadou Tidjani read those of the North, North West, West, South and South West Regions.

After this, the Council President presented the scores each candidate had per region and in the Diaspora, then classified the candidates according to their scores thereby declaring Paul Biya President-elect as he had the highest score both within the country and the Diaspora.

Before the phase to proclaim the results proper, Clément Atangana in his opening speech presented the various procedures of the electoral process that culminated in the solemn session. He said the election was generally peaceful, credible and transparent despite the security concerns in the socio-political crisis affecting the North West and South West Regions. The Council President lauded the efforts of the other actors in the electoral process. With the President-elect already known, the final phase will be the taking of the oath.

This will be in accordance with Section 140 (1) of the Electoral Code which provides that, “The President- elect shall assume office once he or she takes the oath within no less than 15 days of the proclamation of the results by the Constitutional Council.” The President-elect therefore has to take the oath latest November 6, 2018.