Can this world's most aged leader keep his title and attract a country of youthful electorate?
The world's most aged head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged the nation's voters "the best is still to come" as he aims for his 8th straight term in office on Sunday.
The elderly leader has stayed in power since 1982 - another seven-year term could extend his reign for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Campaign Issues
He defied numerous appeals to resign and faced criticism for making merely one rally, devoting much of the political race on a week-and-a-half personal visit to Europe.
Negative reaction concerning his reliance on an computer-generated campaign video, as his rivals actively wooed supporters on the ground, saw him rush north after coming back.
Youth Population and Joblessness
This indicates for the great bulk of the population, Biya is the only president they have known - over sixty percent of Cameroon's 30 million residents are under the quarter century mark.
Youthful political activist Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "fresh leadership" as she maintains "extended rule typically causes a type of inertia".
"Following four decades, the citizens are exhausted," she states.
Youth unemployment remains a specific issue of concern for nearly all the candidates participating in the election.
Approximately forty percent of youthful residents between 15 and 35 are jobless, with 23% of recent graduates experiencing problems in obtaining formal employment.
Rival Candidates
In addition to young people's job issues, the election system has also stirred dispute, notably concerning the exclusion of a political rival from the election contest.
The disqualification, confirmed by the highest court, was broadly condemned as a ploy to prevent any serious competition to the incumbent.
12 candidates were cleared to contest for the country's top job, comprising an ex-government official and a previous supporter - the two former Biya allies from the north of the country.
Election Challenges
Within the nation's English-speaking North-West and Southwest areas, where a extended insurgency ongoing, an poll avoidance lockdown has been enforced, halting business activities, transport and schooling.
Rebel groups who have enforced it have warned to attack people who casts a ballot.
Starting four years ago, those attempting to establish a breakaway state have been clashing with official military.
The fighting has to date killed at minimum 6,000 individuals and forced nearly half a million others from their homes.
Vote Outcome
After Sunday's vote, the Constitutional Council has 15 days to announce the results.
The government official has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is allowed to claim success beforehand.
"Individuals who will seek to announce results of the leadership vote or any unofficial win announcement in violation of the laws of the republic would have broken rules and should be ready to encounter consequences appropriate for their crime."
