Will the planet's oldest leader retain his position and woo a country of youthful electorate?
This world's oldest leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's electorate "the best is still to come" as he aims for his 8th consecutive presidential term this weekend.
The elderly leader has already been in power for over four decades - an additional 7-year mandate could see him rule for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Campaign Controversies
He defied numerous appeals to step down and has been criticised for attending just a single campaign event, devoting much of the election season on a ten-day private trip to the European continent.
A backlash regarding his reliance on an computer-generated election advertisement, as his rivals courted constituents on the ground, led to his hurried travel to the northern region after coming back.
Youth Population and Unemployment
It means that for the vast majority of the citizenry, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they experienced - above sixty percent of the nation's thirty million people are younger than the quarter century mark.
Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "different faces" as she believes "extended rule typically causes a kind of complacency".
"Following four decades, the citizens are tired," she declares.
Young people's joblessness has been a specific issue of concern for the majority of the aspirants competing in the vote.
Approximately 40% of youthful citizens aged from 15 to 35 years are jobless, with 23% of young graduates encountering difficulties in obtaining regular work.
Opposition Candidates
Beyond youth unemployment, the election system has created controversy, particularly regarding the removal of a political rival from the leadership competition.
His exclusion, upheld by the Constitutional Council, was broadly condemned as a ploy to stop any strong challenge to the incumbent.
12 contenders were cleared to contest for the country's top job, featuring Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - the two ex- Biya colleagues from the north of the country.
Election Challenges
In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and South-West areas, where a protracted insurgency continues, an poll avoidance restriction has been enforced, paralysing business activities, transport and education.
Insurgents who have imposed it have warned to harm individuals who participates.
Beginning in 2017, those working toward a breakaway state have been clashing with state security.
The fighting has until now killed at least 6k people and caused almost 500,000 people from their homes.
Election Results
After Sunday's vote, the Constitutional Council has two weeks to reveal the results.
The security chief has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is permitted to claim success in advance.
"Individuals who will attempt to declare outcomes of the political race or any self-proclaimed victory against the laws of the country would have violated boundaries and need to be prepared to encounter penalties matching their violation."
