Cameroon – Presidential Election 2025: Brenda Biya Calls on Citizens to Reject Her Father’s Candidacy

The upcoming presidential election in Cameroon has taken an unprecedented turn after Brenda Biya, daughter of President Paul Biya, publicly urged citizens not to vote for her father in the October 12, 2025 polls.

In a widely circulated video posted on social media, Brenda Biya declared: “Don’t vote for Paul Biya, not for me, but because he has caused too much suffering.” She went further, accusing members of her own family of sacrificing her and revealed troubling conversations with senior regime officials.

This explosive declaration marks the first time in Cameroon’s history — and one of the rare moments in African politics — where the child of a sitting head of state openly calls for the rejection of their parent at the ballot box.

A Family Rift Goes Public

In her message, Brenda Biya described deep personal grievances, claiming that she had endured years of harm from her family. She alleged that Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, Director of the Civil Cabinet at the Presidency, told her over the phone that she would “overdose and die.” She added that she was cutting ties with her parents and would no longer accept financial assistance from them.

“I’m going to cut the bridge with my parents, because they have hurt me all my life. For the campaign, you really wanted to know who I will vote for. I’m not going to vote for Paul Biya,” she said.

A Blow to the CPDM Narrative

The revelation is a major embarrassment to the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), which has launched a massive campaign to secure yet another mandate for the 92-year-old leader, who has ruled the country since 1982.

Regime barons and ministers have been dispatched across the country to drum up support, with football legend Samuel Eto’o and other public figures aligning themselves with the CPDM campaign. Yet the president himself has been largely absent from public view, with many campaign events reduced to speeches delivered in front of his image on a roll-up banner.

Brenda Biya’s intervention undermines the CPDM’s attempts to project unity and stability. It also raises questions about the credibility of a system where, despite visible internal fractures, the ruling elite insists on continuity at all costs.

Public Reaction

Across social media and opposition platforms, reactions to Brenda’s statement have been explosive. Activists argue that her words confirm what many Cameroonians have long said — that Biya’s decades in power have inflicted deep suffering on the country, leaving behind poverty, unemployment, corruption, and repression.

The declaration comes at a sensitive time, with opposition parties struggling to build coalitions to challenge Biya at the polls, and with international observers closely monitoring the political climate.

A Turning Point?

Whether Brenda Biya’s dramatic call will influence voting patterns remains to be seen. What is certain is that her defiance has dealt another blow to the image of the Biya regime and exposed unprecedented cracks within the First Family itself.

As Cameroon approaches October 12, the voices of dissent are no longer confined to opposition parties and civil society. They have now reached the president’s own household.