Cameroon: Who's Cameroon president and who holds power?

Questions surrounding governance in Cameroon have intensified following disputes between local and central authorities, bringing renewed focus to the question of who's Cameroon president when Paul Biya is away. A disagreement in Yaounde in March between Housing and Urban Development Minister Celestine Ketcha Courtes and City Mayor Luc Messi Atangana regarding roadworks for a papal visit highlighted competing centres of authority. Biya, who is 93 years old and has ruled since 1982, spent over ten weeks abroad this year before returning to the capital on August 20. His lengthy stays overseas have prompted ongoing debates about how executive decisions are managed in his absence.

Under Cameroon's constitution, the head of state holds extensive powers, including defining national policy, appointing the prime minister, and acting as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. While the president may delegate certain responsibilities, an absence abroad does not automatically transfer constitutional powers to the prime minister, and the government has not issued a detailed public account regarding any official delegation of functions during Biya's travels. Research by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project indicates that Biya has spent at least four and a half years abroad on private visits over more than three decades.

Attention has frequently focused on Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the secretary-general at the presidency, who received a permanent delegation of signature in 2019 allowing him to sign specific official documents. However, observers note that a delegation of signature is distinct from a transfer of presidential powers, and Ngoh Ngoh is not a constitutional successor. Other individuals, such as First Lady Chantal Biya and the president's son Franck Biya, are frequently mentioned in discussions regarding informal influence, though they hold no official executive positions. Security analyst Ryan Cummings has suggested that individuals close to the leader play increasingly visible roles, though direct lines of authority remain difficult to verify independently.

President Biya's frequent absences raise critical questions about executive power management in Cameroon.

## Why it matters

The succession question has gained urgency following a constitutional amendment that reintroduced the office of vice president, allowing the holder of that post to complete a presidential term if a vacancy arises. Biya's prolonged absences and the structure of informal and formal networks around the presidency directly affect the stability and predictability of governance in the country.