Six months after Cameroon introduced the position of vice president into its Constitution, two opposition parties are calling on President Paul Biya to fill the post. Denis Emilien Atangana, leader of the Cameroon Democrats Front (FDC), has joined Cabral Libii, president of the Cameroon National Reconciliation Party (PCRN), in urging the head of state to appoint a vice president amid concerns over a potential succession dispute.
"The FDC strongly urges President Biya to appoint a vice president of the Republic. Our country does not deserve an unnecessary succession war," Atangana wrote in a Facebook post on October 14, 2026. His statement came less than a month after Libii made a similar appeal. In a video published on September 17, the PCRN leader addressed the president directly: "Mr. President, appoint your vice president!" He presented the appointment, among other things, as a way to safeguard Biya's presidency.
Libii repeated his call on October 13, accusing officials within the ruling establishment of "blocking the appointment of a vice president." He linked the situation to rivalries he said he had observed at the highest levels of government. Atangana also raised concerns about a potentially contentious presidential succession. He called on political parties and civil society organizations to make the appointment of a vice president a national demand.
"Mr. Paul Biya, I beg you, appoint the vice president of the Republic to spare us the worst," he wrote. The FDC leader also based his appeal on his personal assessment of the president's condition, describing Biya as "exhausted." However, his post provided no medical evidence to support that claim.
PCRN's Earlier Objections Focused on How the Vice President Would Be Chosen
Libii's current position represents a shift in his approach to the constitutional framework adopted in April, rather than a reversal of his stance on the existence of a vice presidency. During the debate over the constitutional amendment, the PCRN primarily opposed the provision that allows the president to appoint the vice president.
Appearing before the special committee responsible for reviewing the proposed amendment, Libii argued that the president and vice president should be elected together on the same ticket. Alternatively, he proposed that any vice-presidential appointment should require parliamentary approval.The PCRN also proposed limiting the presidential term to seven years, renewable only once.
The constitutional framework ultimately adopted took a different approach. Law No. 2026/002 of April 14, 2026, states that the president of the Republic "may be assisted by a vice president." The president appoints the vice president, determines the officeholder's responsibilities, and may delegate certain powers to that person. The provision becomes particularly important if the presidency becomes vacant. If a vice president is in office, that person completes the remainder of the presidential term.
If no vice president has been appointed, a new presidential election must be held between 20 and 120 days after the vacancy occurs. During that period, the president of the Senate serves as acting president. However, the Constitution does not require Biya to appoint a vice president within a specific period. The wording of Article 5, which states that the president "may be assisted" by a vice president, leaves the decision to fill the position entirely at the head of state's discretion.
The appeals from the PCRN and FDC therefore amount to political pressure to activate the new succession mechanism, rather than demands for the president to fulfill a constitutional obligation.
Thierry Christophe Yamb