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This planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's electorate "better days are ahead" as he pursues his 8th straight term in office on Sunday.

The nonagenarian has already been in power since 1982 - an additional 7-year mandate could see him rule for half a century reaching almost a century old.

Election Controversies

He ignored widespread calls to step down and faced criticism for attending just one rally, devoting much of the campaign period on a ten-day personal visit to Europe.

A backlash regarding his use of an computer-generated election advertisement, as his rivals sought constituents directly, prompted his quick return to the northern region after coming back.

Youth Population and Unemployment

It means that for the large portion of the population, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they remember - over 60% of Cameroon's 30 million inhabitants are under the 25 years old.

Youthful campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "different faces" as she maintains "extended rule naturally results in a kind of inertia".

"Following four decades, the people are weary," she declares.

Youth unemployment remains a particular talking point for nearly all the aspirants competing in the political race.

Nearly forty percent of youthful Cameroonians aged from 15 to 35 years are jobless, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth encountering difficulties in finding official jobs.

Rival Candidates

Apart from young people's job issues, the election system has generated dispute, particularly regarding the disqualification of a political rival from the presidential race.

His exclusion, approved by the Constitutional Council, was widely criticised as a ploy to stop any significant opposition to the incumbent.

Twelve candidates were approved to compete for the leadership position, featuring a former minister and Bello Bouba Maigari - the two former Biya colleagues from the northern region of the nation.

Voting Challenges

In Cameroon's Anglophone North-West and South-West territories, where a protracted separatist conflict persists, an voting prohibition closure has been established, stopping business activities, travel and learning.

Rebel groups who have established it have warned to target individuals who casts a ballot.

Since 2017, those attempting to establish a breakaway state have been clashing with official military.

The violence has so far killed at least 6,000 people and forced almost 500,000 others from their houses.

Election Results

Once polling concludes, the Constitutional Council has 15 days to declare the outcome.

The interior minister has previously cautioned that no candidate is authorized to claim success beforehand.

"Those who will try to announce results of the presidential election or any unofficial win announcement contrary to the laws of the country would have violated boundaries and must prepare to face penalties matching their violation."