Will the planet's oldest leader retain the title and woo a nation of young electorate?
The planet's oldest head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has promised the nation's voters "better days are ahead" as he seeks his eighth consecutive presidential term this weekend.
The 92-year-old has already been in power for over four decades - an additional seven-year term could keep him in power for 50 years until he will be almost a century old.
Election Controversies
He ignored numerous appeals to leave office and faced criticism for making merely a single campaign event, using the majority of the election season on a week-and-a-half private trip to Europe.
A backlash regarding his dependence on an computer-generated political commercial, as his rivals sought supporters on the ground, prompted his quick return to the northern region upon his arrival.
Youth Population and Unemployment
It means that for the great bulk of the population, Biya remains the sole leader they have known - above 60% of Cameroon's 30 million residents are under the 25 years old.
Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "different faces" as she maintains "prolonged leadership typically causes a kind of complacency".
"Following four decades, the citizens are tired," she declares.
Employment challenges for youth has become a notable discussion topic for nearly all the candidates running in the vote.
Almost forty percent of youthful Cameroonians aged from 15 to 35 years are without work, with twenty-three percent of young graduates experiencing problems in obtaining formal employment.
Rival Contenders
Beyond young people's job issues, the electoral process has created debate, notably concerning the removal of a political rival from the election contest.
The disqualification, approved by the highest court, was generally denounced as a ploy to block any strong challenge to President Biya.
12 candidates were authorized to contest for the country's top job, including an ex-government official and Bello Bouba Maigari - both previous Biya associates from the north of the nation.
Voting Difficulties
In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest territories, where a protracted insurgency persists, an poll avoidance lockdown has been enforced, paralysing commercial operations, transport and learning.
The separatists who have enforced it have warned to harm individuals who participates.
Starting four years ago, those seeking to create a breakaway state have been fighting state security.
The violence has so far caused the deaths of at least 6k lives and caused nearly 500,000 others from their homes.
Vote Outcome
After Sunday's vote, the legal body has fifteen days to reveal the results.
The interior minister has already warned that no candidate is authorized to declare victory beforehand.
"Candidates who will try to reveal findings of the leadership vote or any unofficial win announcement contrary to the rules of the country would have broken rules and must prepare to receive consequences appropriate for their violation."
