Cameroon's Contested Election: Opposition's Preemptive Claim

Cameroon opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has announced victory in the recent presidential election before official results are declared, urging President Paul Biya to concede. The electoral body is yet to release the official outcome. Government officials condemn the claims, citing election disruption concerns.

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a prominent opposition figure in Cameroon, preemptively declared victory in the recent October 12 presidential election, even as official results remain unreleased. Bakary issued a statement urging the long-standing president, Paul Biya, to acknowledge the supposed outcome of the election.

The independent electoral body, Elections Cameroon, along with the constitutional court, is yet to announce the official results, which are anticipated by October 26. Analysts forecasted Biya's victory amid opposition parties' divisions and a barred candidacy of his strongest rival.

Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, strongly condemned Bakary's declaration, accusing him of attempting to incite national unrest. He reiterated that only an authorized release of results will be recognized as legitimate, labeling unauthorized announcements as 'high treason.'

(With inputs from agencies.)