For those who may not know, a gerontocracy is a system of government ruled by leaders who are substantially older than most of the adult population. Nowhere is this truer today than in Cameroon — a nation where the youth have no future, and the state is run by men who have lived entire lives while a generation watches helplessly.

Cameroon’s politics is a portrait of arrested transition. More than 70 percent of Cameroonians are under 35, yet the top offices of the state are occupied by men in their eighties and nineties who have spent decades at the helm.

The October 2025 presidential election, which once again returned Paul Biya to power, only confirmed what many young Cameroonians already knew: the system is designed to protect an aging elite determined to outlive democracy itself.

Below are the Top Faces of Cameroon’s Gerontocracy:

1. Paul Biya — President of the Republic
   Born 13 February 1933, President Biya is 92 years old. He has ruled Cameroon since 6 November 1982, making him one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state. His latest “victory” in the October 12, 2025 election secures him an eighth term, extending his rule to more than 43 years — a reign older than most of his country’s citizens.
2. Marcel Niat Njifenji — President of the Senate

Born 26 October 1934, Niat Njifenji turned 91 this month. He has led the Senate since 2013 and is constitutionally next in line for the presidency. His position guarantees that even in the event of succession, leadership will remain in the hands of the old guard.

3. Cavayé Yéguié Djibril — Speaker of the National Assembly

Born 1 February 1940, Djibril is 85 years old and has served as Speaker of the National Assembly since 1992. His 33-year tenure at the helm of the legislature reflects how deeply entrenched the politics of longevity has become.

4. Clément Atangana — President of the Constitutional Council

Born around August or September 1941, Atangana, now 84, has headed the Constitutional Council since 2018. His council validates elections and confirms results — including Biya’s. The same circle of elders that appoints and endorses one another leaves little room for genuine democracy or renewal.

When the executive, legislature, and judiciary are all dominated by men in their eighties and nineties, the consequence is structural stagnation. National policies — on education, employment, decentralization, and peace in the Anglophone regions — are shaped by leaders who no longer share the realities of the majority.

Cameroon’s young people live in a different world — one defined by unemployment, limited opportunities, and digital change — yet their destinies are decided by those whose political worldviews were formed in the 1970s. The outcome is predictable: no innovation, no transition, no hope.

This is not just about age; it is about a generational blockade that has denied millions of young Cameroonians a voice in their own country. The real crisis is not merely corruption or insecurity — it is the theft of the future by an elite that refuses to let go of power.

My Call to the Youth of Cameroon:
Cameroon’s young generation must rise — not through violence, but through unity, vision, and democratic resistance. The struggle is not between old and young, but between stagnation and progress. The youth must organize, mobilize, and demand inclusion in leadership.

The message must be clear: you are not too young to lead — they are simply too old to rule.

This is the defining moment for Cameroon’s young people to reclaim their future, challenge the politics of inheritance, and build a new nation anchored on merit, renewal, and justice.

By Mustapha Gembu

The author is a social commentator, writer, and advocate for youth leadership and justice in Africa.