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This planet's oldest leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he seeks his 8th consecutive presidential term this weekend.

The 92-year-old has stayed in power since 1982 - an additional seven-year mandate could extend his reign for half a century until he will be almost 100.

Campaign Issues

He defied broad demands to resign and has been criticised for attending just one rally, devoting much of the election season on a 10-day private trip to Europe.

A backlash regarding his reliance on an AI-generated campaign video, as his opponents courted supporters on the ground, saw him rush north on his return home.

Young Population and Joblessness

This indicates for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they experienced - over sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million residents are below the age of 25.

Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "different faces" as she thinks "extended rule inevitably leads to a type of inertia".

"With 43 years passed, the people are weary," she declares.

Youth unemployment remains a notable discussion topic for the majority of the contenders participating in the vote.

Almost forty percent of young citizens aged from 15 and 35 are without work, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth experiencing problems in obtaining official jobs.

Rival Contenders

Apart from youth unemployment, the electoral process has created dispute, notably concerning the removal of Maurice Kamto from the leadership competition.

The disqualification, upheld by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a tactic to stop any serious competition to the current leader.

A dozen contenders were approved to vie for the country's top job, including Issa Tchiroma Bakary and another former ally - each ex- Biya associates from the north of the nation.

Election Challenges

In Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and South-West areas, where a protracted insurgency ongoing, an voting prohibition closure has been imposed, paralysing business activities, movement and schooling.

Rebel groups who have established it have promised to harm people who casts a ballot.

Starting four years ago, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been clashing with official military.

The conflict has to date killed at minimum 6,000 individuals and compelled approximately half a million others from their residences.

Vote Outcome

Once polling concludes, the legal body has two weeks to announce the results.

The interior minister has already warned that no candidate is allowed to declare victory in advance.

"Individuals who will attempt to declare outcomes of the leadership vote or any unofficial win announcement contrary to the rules of the republic would have crossed the red line and must prepare to receive retaliatory measures appropriate for their crime."