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The planet's most aged head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's electorate "the future holds promise" as he aims for his 8th straight term in office this weekend.

The elderly leader has already been in office for over four decades - another seven-year mandate could extend his reign for half a century making him almost 100.

Election Controversies

He ignored numerous appeals to leave office and faced criticism for only showing up for a single campaign event, devoting much of the political race on a 10-day private trip to Europe.

Negative reaction over his dependence on an artificial intelligence created political commercial, as his rivals actively wooed constituents directly, led to his hurried travel to the northern region on his return home.

Youth Population and Unemployment

Consequently for the large portion of the people, Biya is the only president they have known - over sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million inhabitants are under the quarter century mark.

Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "new blood" as she thinks "longevity in power inevitably leads to a sort of laziness".

"Following four decades, the people are tired," she states.

Employment challenges for youth has become a particular talking point for most of the aspirants competing in the vote.

Approximately forty percent of young Cameroonians between 15 and 35 are without work, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth encountering difficulties in securing formal employment.

Rival Contenders

Apart from young people's job issues, the electoral process has created dispute, especially with the exclusion of a political rival from the leadership competition.

His exclusion, confirmed by the Constitutional Council, was generally denounced as a tactic to block any strong challenge to the incumbent.

12 aspirants were authorized to compete for the country's top job, comprising Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - both former Biya associates from the northern region of the country.

Election Challenges

In Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and South-West regions, where a long-running rebellion continues, an voting prohibition restriction has been enforced, halting business activities, travel and schooling.

Rebel groups who have enforced it have promised to attack people who casts a ballot.

Since 2017, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been clashing with state security.

The conflict has until now killed at no fewer than six thousand lives and caused nearly five hundred thousand others from their houses.

Vote Outcome

After Sunday's vote, the highest court has fifteen days to declare the results.

The interior minister has earlier advised that no aspirant is authorized to claim success prior to official results.

"Those who will seek to reveal findings of the political race or any self-proclaimed victory contrary to the rules of the republic would have broken rules and must prepare to receive retaliatory measures commensurate to their offense."