Will the world's oldest leader keep his title and woo a nation of young voters?
This planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he seeks his eighth consecutive term in office this weekend.
The nonagenarian has already been in power since 1982 - an additional seven-year term could see him rule for 50 years until he will be almost 100.
Election Issues
He resisted broad demands to resign and drew backlash for attending just one public appearance, spending most of the election season on a ten-day private trip to Europe.
Negative reaction concerning his reliance on an computer-generated election advertisement, as his rivals sought voters directly, prompted his quick return north upon his arrival.
Young Voters and Joblessness
It means that for the large portion of the people, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they have known - more than sixty percent of the nation's 30 million people are under the age of 25.
Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "different faces" as she thinks "prolonged leadership typically causes a sort of laziness".
"After 43 years, the population are weary," she states.
Employment challenges for youth remains a specific discussion topic for nearly all the aspirants participating in the vote.
Approximately forty percent of young residents between 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with 23% of college-educated youth experiencing problems in obtaining formal employment.
Opposition Candidates
Apart from youth unemployment, the voting procedure has created dispute, notably concerning the disqualification of Maurice Kamto from the presidential race.
The removal, confirmed by the Constitutional Council, was widely criticised as a tactic to prevent any strong challenge to the incumbent.
Twelve contenders were cleared to compete for the country's top job, including an ex-government official and a previous supporter - both ex- Biya allies from the northern region of the country.
Election Challenges
In Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, where a extended rebellion continues, an poll avoidance lockdown has been imposed, paralysing commercial operations, movement and learning.
Rebel groups who have enforced it have warned to target people who participates.
Since 2017, those seeking to create a separate nation have been fighting state security.
The fighting has to date caused the deaths of at no fewer than 6,000 individuals and compelled almost five hundred thousand people from their houses.
Vote Outcome
Once polling concludes, the legal body has 15 days to declare the findings.
The interior minister has earlier advised that none of the contenders is allowed to claim success in advance.
"Individuals who will seek to reveal findings of the political race or any personal declaration of success contrary to the rules of the republic would have broken rules and need to be prepared to face retaliatory measures matching their crime."
