Will this world's oldest leader keep the title and attract a nation of young electorate?

This planet's most aged head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he aims for his 8th straight presidential term on Sunday.

The nonagenarian has remained in power for over four decades - an additional 7-year mandate could extend his reign for half a century making him almost a century old.

Campaign Issues

He resisted widespread calls to resign and has been criticised for only showing up for a single campaign event, devoting much of the political race on a ten-day unofficial journey to Europe.

A backlash regarding his use of an artificial intelligence created political commercial, as his rivals actively wooed supporters in person, saw him rush to the northern region after coming back.

Youth Population and Joblessness

This indicates for the vast majority of the people, Biya remains the sole leader they remember - above 60% of the nation's thirty million residents are below the 25 years old.

Youthful campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "different faces" as she thinks "extended rule naturally results in a type of complacency".

"Following four decades, the population are exhausted," she declares.

Employment challenges for youth has been a specific discussion topic for nearly all the contenders competing in the political race.

Almost 40% of young residents between 15 and 35 are jobless, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth facing challenges in securing regular work.

Rival Contenders

Apart from youth unemployment, the election system has also stirred debate, notably concerning the disqualification of a political rival from the election contest.

The disqualification, confirmed by the legal authority, was widely criticised as a ploy to prevent any serious competition to the incumbent.

Twelve aspirants were approved to vie for the country's top job, including a former minister and another former ally - each previous Biya allies from the north of the country.

Voting Challenges

In Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and South-West territories, where a long-running separatist conflict ongoing, an voting prohibition lockdown has been established, paralysing commercial operations, movement and learning.

Insurgents who have imposed it have promised to harm people who casts a ballot.

Beginning in 2017, those working toward a separate nation have been fighting state security.

The violence has so far caused the deaths of at minimum six thousand people and caused approximately five hundred thousand others from their homes.

Election Results

After Sunday's vote, the Constitutional Council has fifteen days to declare the outcome.

The interior minister has already warned that no candidate is permitted to declare victory prior to official results.

"Those who will seek to announce results of the political race or any personal declaration of success against the rules of the country would have violated boundaries and need to be prepared to face retaliatory measures commensurate to their offense."