[Photos] Presidential birthday cake as Cameroon leader hits 85 years

Cameroonian president Paul Biya on Tuesday February 13, 2018 celebrated his 85th birthday.

His official social media handles shared photos of him cutting his birthday cake accompanied by First Lady Chantal Biya.

He was born in 1933 and has spent the last 36 years as president of Cameroon. He is likely to seek reelection in polls slated for later this year.

Biya before becoming president served as Prime Minister under Cameroon’s first president Ahmadou Ahidjo. He took over after the resignation of Ahidjo in November 1982.

He is among Africa’s longest serving leaders along the likes of Theodore Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and Sassou Nguesso of Congo and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

He has remained in power through political reforms like a single-party system in the 80s (which he abolished under pressure in the 90s), high-margin election victories (which have consistently been suspected as fraudulent) and has maintained a close relationship with France.