Cameroon is still waiting for President Paul Biya to announce a government reshuffle and appoint a vice-president, weeks after his return from a prolonged absence abroad.
Biya, 93, returned on 20 August after spending about 10 weeks outside the country. His absence prompted speculation about his health and whereabouts, including unverified claims that he had died.
His return raised expectations that he would name a new government. But by 6 October no appointments had been made, leaving the newly restored vice-presidency vacant and fuelling wider questions about Cameroon’s political succession.
For Elvis Mbi, a 39-year-old Yaounde resident, the wait has become a daily ritual. Every weekday at 5pm, he listens to the flagship bulletin on the state broadcaster, Cameroon Radio Television, hoping for an announcement.
“Every Cameroonian was expecting that upon his return home, he was going to change government, but nothing up to this moment,” he said.
Biya had promised in a national address on 31 December 2025 that a new government would be formed “in the coming days”. More than nine months later, that pledge had yet to be fulfilled.
Vice-presidency remains vacant
The vacancy has drawn particular attention because parliament approved a constitutional amendment in April restoring the vice-presidency, an office abolished in 1972.
Under the new law, promulgated on 14 April, the president can appoint and dismiss a vice-president. The office-holder would assume the presidency on an interim basis if the president died, resigned or became permanently incapacitated, and would serve the remainder of the seven-year term under the conditions set out in the constitution.
The reform creates a formal succession mechanism but does not set a deadline for the appointment. The decision remains with Biya.
“We all know the president needs assistance in order to execute state duties and that’s why we are anxiously waiting for the appointment, but nothing has happened yet to our greatest dismay,” Mbi said.
Speculation intensified in June when an individual delivered a sealed envelope to the state broadcaster in Yaounde containing what was purported to be a presidential decree appointing a vice-president.
A government statement published in the state newspaper said the document appeared to carry official presidential seals and a signature attributed to Biya. The broadcaster did not transmit its contents, while the government said it had not been issued through the proper official process. The individual was detained and an investigation launched.
Jude Mutah, a Washington-based governance and democracy expert, said the attention focused on the evening radio bulletin reflected public expectations of political change. In the absence of clear information, he said, rumours could gain traction.
Cabral Libii, leader of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation and an opposition figure in the 2025 presidential election, has argued that the vice-presidency would be more than a vacant administrative post.
“The vice presidency is not just another administrative post to be filled. Appointing your vice president means securing your leadership,” Libii said in a public appeal.
He added: “A vice president of this calibre could help to mitigate the succession struggles that are currently paralysing collective action.”
Uncertainty raises economic concerns
The leadership questions come as Cameroon faces a separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions and an armed rebellion linked to Boko Haram around the Lake Chad Basin.
Jason Healy, a sub-Saharan Africa country risk analyst at BMI, part of Fitch Solutions, said uncertainty over the country’s political leadership could damage investor confidence.
Prolonged indecision could discourage some investors from committing to large, long-term projects, he said. Delaying appointments could also be a political calculation by Biya, enabling him to retain control over the timing and make-up of any changes.
Mbi Aziseh Azimboh, executive director of the Policy Lab for Civic Innovation and Community Solutions, said continued uncertainty could slow government decision-making and delay reforms and public policies.
The government has defended the president’s right to decide when appointments should be made. Communication Minister and government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi said in an August interview that Biya had the authority to form a new government and determine when to do so.
“It is surely quite normal for him to take his time when entrusting such a high office to one of his fellow citizens,” Sadi said.
Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, a former minister and coordinator of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement’s academy, said public concerns were legitimate but maintained that the president had the constitutional prerogative to act when he chose.
For Mbi, the wait continues with each evening bulletin.
“No one knows anything any more. It is so disheartening when I tune in each time but don’t get the big news,” he said.
