Cameroon’s Election Shock: President Biya’s Daughter Urges Voters to Reject Him
Ujasusi Blog’s Central Africa Monitoring Team | 21 September 2025 | 0400 BST
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🎥 Viral Video Rocks Cameroon’s Election Campaign
In a stunning turn of events, Brenda Biya, the only daughter of Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, has openly called on citizens to reject her father’s re-election bid. In a viral TikTok video published Thursday, Brenda declared she would not vote for Paul Biya and urged others to do the same.
Speaking from Switzerland, the 27-year-old accused her family of mistreatment and revealed that people close to her “wanted her dead.” She went further, announcing she would cut ties with her parents, amplifying an already sensational political moment.
👉 Watch Brenda Biya’s viral video here
🗳️ Opposition Seizes on Shock Endorsement
The video has electrified Cameroon’s political scene. Opposition leaders and civil society actors have welcomed Brenda’s stance as a rare public rejection of the ruling elite from within Biya’s own family.
The presidency and government have so far remained silent, refraining from any official comment. However, within opposition circles, Brenda’s declaration is being framed as proof of discontent at the very heart of Biya’s inner circle.
👤 Who is Brenda Biya?
Brenda Biya is no stranger to controversy:
She previously caused debate by posting dancing videos seen as unbecoming for a presidential daughter.
In 2023, she went viral again after revealing her homosexuality, a declaration that clashed with Cameroon’s highly conservative social norms and strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Her latest political intervention, however, is by far the most explosive—publicly opposing her father’s seventh-term presidential campaign.
🇨🇲 Paul Biya’s Legacy at Stake
At 92, Paul Biya is Africa’s oldest serving head of state and has ruled Cameroon since 1982. His decision to seek another term has been controversial, with critics arguing that his decades-long rule has stifled democracy and worsened economic stagnation.
Recent developments highlight the mounting pressure:
The UN has called for fair elections amid fears of rigging and political repression (UN call for fair elections).
Legal challenges have already been filed questioning the constitutionality of Biya’s eighth-term ambition (Legal challenge filed).
Youth movements have been vocal in demanding generational change (Cameroon’s youth crossroads)
Brenda’s viral opposition could now embolden young voters frustrated with decades of authoritarian governance.
🌍 Wider Context: Cameroon’s Fragile Political Climate
Cameroon faces multiple crises that make this election particularly tense:
Anglophone conflict: Separatist insurgents continue to wage war in the Northwest and Southwest, enforcing lockdowns and creating ghost towns
Economic pressures: Cocoa plantations, a key export, are under threat from disease outbreaks
Electoral legitimacy: Accusations of fraud, media censorship, and restricted political freedoms loom large.
Against this backdrop, Brenda’s dramatic break with her father is not just a family feud—it’s a political earthquake.
🔭 Strategic Outlook
Short-Term
Expect the video to dominate media cycles and become a rallying point for opposition campaigns.
Risk of government clampdown on Brenda’s social media and opposition actors amplifying her message.
Medium-Term
The scandal may intensify divisions within the Biya regime, with elites forced to choose loyalty or survival.
Opposition parties will likely exploit Brenda’s rejection as symbolic proof of a crumbling dynasty.
Long-Term
If Paul Biya wins again, Brenda’s defection could haunt the legitimacy of his presidency, fueling narratives of illegitimacy.
Alternatively, this could mark the beginning of generational change, with Cameroonian youth demanding leadership beyond the Biya era.
📌 Key Takeaway
Brenda Biya’s viral rejection of her father’s re-election bid has transformed Cameroon’s election narrative overnight. With opposition parties seizing the moment and the regime silent, this rare family defection has injected unprecedented volatility into Paul Biya’s decades-long grip on power.
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