In Cameroon, opposition leader Jean-Michel Nintcheu has formally requested the Constitutional Council to declare a vacancy at the helm of the State following President Paul Biya’s prolonged absence from the country.

President Paul Biya, who left for what was supposed to be a brief private stay in Switzerland on June 7, has yet to return to Yaoundé 44 days after his departure. This extended absence has reignited debates about the 93-year-old leader’s health. Within political circles and public opinion, reactions to the President’s prolonged absence from the Palais d’Etoudi vary depending on one’s political allegiance.

On his Facebook page, opposition MP Jean-Michel Nintcheu, a former SDF member from Douala, called on the Constitutional Council to declare the presidency vacant. “The Constitutional Council must declare a vacancy at the summit of the State,” he wrote on July 17.

Ruling party dismisses concerns

The ruling RDPC party, however, has sought to allay fears. “The presidency is not vacant. The Lion has not left,” asserted Christophe Mien Zok, RDPC propaganda director. Meanwhile, from Geneva where he remains, President Paul Biya continues to sign official documents and congratulatory messages to international counterparts, as evidenced by his July 14 message to French President Emmanuel Macron on Bastille Day.