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The planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's voters "the best is still to come" as he seeks his 8th straight term in office on Sunday.

The elderly leader has already been in power since 1982 - an additional 7-year term could see him rule for 50 years until he will be almost a century old.

Campaign Issues

He defied widespread calls to resign and has been criticised for only showing up for a single campaign event, devoting much of the election season on a 10-day private trip to Europe.

A backlash concerning his use of an computer-generated election advertisement, as his opponents courted voters on the ground, saw him rush north after coming back.

Youth Voters and Joblessness

Consequently for the vast majority of the citizenry, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they have known - more than 60% of Cameroon's thirty million people are younger than the 25 years old.

Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "fresh leadership" as she thinks "prolonged leadership typically causes a type of inertia".

"After 43 years, the people are weary," she declares.

Youth unemployment has been a notable talking point for the majority of the aspirants running in the political race.

Approximately 40% of young citizens aged from 15 to 35 years are without work, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates facing challenges in securing formal employment.

Rival Candidates

Apart from youth unemployment, the election system has generated controversy, especially with the removal of Maurice Kamto from the presidential race.

The removal, confirmed by the Constitutional Council, was generally denounced as a ploy to block any strong challenge to the current leader.

A dozen aspirants were cleared to compete for the country's top job, comprising a former minister and Bello Bouba Maigari - the two former Biya associates from the north of the country.

Election Challenges

In Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and Southwest territories, where a long-running separatist conflict ongoing, an voting prohibition restriction has been established, paralysing business activities, movement and education.

Insurgents who have imposed it have warned to attack people who participates.

Since 2017, those attempting to establish a independent territory have been battling official military.

The violence has until now caused the deaths of at minimum 6,000 individuals and compelled approximately 500,000 residents from their residences.

Vote Outcome

Following the election, the highest court has two weeks to declare the findings.

The security chief has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is permitted to announce winning beforehand.

"Individuals who will attempt to announce results of the leadership vote or any self-proclaimed victory against the regulations of the country would have violated boundaries and need to be prepared to face consequences commensurate to their crime."