MAROUA: Cameroon’s President Paul Biya made his first major appearance of the election campaign on Monday in his bid for an eighth consecutive term as the world’s oldest head of state.
The 92-year-old leader addressed supporters at a stadium in Maroua in the Far North region with just five days remaining before the vote.
Biya, who has been in power since 1982, made his first public appearance since May this year during this campaign event.
He told the crowd of several hundred supporters from the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement that his determination to serve remains intact.
The president asked the crowd once again for their precious support during his 25-minute speech.
His address focused primarily on youth, women and infrastructure development.
Biya declared his goal is for every young person to easily find a job or start a business regardless of their location.
He promised that no young person, whether graduate or not, would be left behind under his leadership.
Organizers had expected nearly 25,000 people at the rally but only a few hundred actually attended according to AFP correspondents present.
Maroua serves as a key electoral battleground with 1.22 million registered voters despite regular Boko Haram attacks.
The city borders both Nigeria and Chad in a region frequently affected by jihadist group violence.
Opposition figure Maurice Kamto called on voters to vote freely after failed unity talks.
Kamto’s candidacy had been rejected back in August during the opposition’s unsuccessful attempt to field a unified candidate. – AFP