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This world's most aged head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's voters "the best is still to come" as he aims for his 8th consecutive presidential term this weekend.

The nonagenarian has already been in office since 1982 - another seven-year term could see him rule for half a century reaching almost a century old.

Campaign Issues

He defied numerous appeals to step down and drew backlash for only showing up for a single campaign event, using the majority of the campaign period on a week-and-a-half personal visit to the European continent.

A backlash regarding his reliance on an artificial intelligence created election advertisement, as his opponents actively wooed voters on the ground, saw him rush to the northern region upon his arrival.

Youth Population and Unemployment

It means that for the vast majority of the people, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they remember - more than 60% of the nation's 30 million residents are under the quarter century mark.

Youthful advocate Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "new blood" as she believes "longevity in power typically causes a sort of laziness".

"After 43 years, the people are weary," she says.

Youth unemployment has become a particular discussion topic for the majority of the candidates competing in the political race.

Almost forty percent of youthful Cameroonians aged from 15-35 are jobless, with 23% of recent graduates encountering difficulties in securing official jobs.

Rival Candidates

Beyond young people's job issues, the voting procedure has generated dispute, notably concerning the disqualification of a political rival from the presidential race.

His exclusion, approved by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a strategy to prevent any significant opposition to President Biya.

12 candidates were cleared to compete for the presidency, comprising Issa Tchiroma Bakary and another former ally - both former Biya associates from the northern region of the nation.

Election Difficulties

Within the nation's Anglophone North-West and South-West territories, where a long-running insurgency persists, an voting prohibition restriction has been enforced, paralysing economic functions, movement and education.

Rebel groups who have imposed it have promised to harm individuals who casts a ballot.

Starting four years ago, those working toward a breakaway state have been fighting official military.

The fighting has so far caused the deaths of at minimum 6k individuals and caused approximately half a million others from their homes.

Vote Outcome

Once polling concludes, the Constitutional Council has fifteen days to reveal the findings.

The security chief has previously cautioned that no candidate is allowed to declare victory beforehand.

"Those who will seek to reveal findings of the leadership vote or any self-proclaimed victory contrary to the regulations of the republic would have crossed the red line and should be ready to receive consequences matching their crime."