Fake news roils Cameroon after controversial reintroduction of vice presidential post

Quickly discredited rumours circulated across Cameroon on Tuesday that the country's leader President Paul Biya, had appointed his son to the vice presidency. In fact, no one has yet been named to the office.

Local media reported that Biya had signed a decree appointing Franck Biya shortly after the post of vice president was reintroduced on Saturday. The position was scrapped in 1972 by a constitutional referendum.

The reports were soon denied by officials but they tapped into fears voiced by government critics that the new law paves the way for a monarchy.

The widely criticised bill was passed by a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate and boycotted by the main opposition party.

The amendment gives the president absolute authority over the vice presidency, and he can appoint and dismiss office holders at will. The deputy can only exercise powers delegated by Biya.

If the president dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, the vice president will serve as interim president for the remainder of the seven-year tenure.

'Not democratic'

Proponents of the bill say it will ensure institutional stability should the 93-year-old president be unable to carry out his duties. But critics say it undermines democratic principles.

The opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) said in a statement that the amendment “fails to guarantee democratic legitimacy, inclusiveness, and proper institutional balance.”

“It’s not democratic. This is a republic, and in a republic, those who wield power at the highest level of the state should be elected and not appointed,” Fusi Namukong, an SDF member of parliament, said.

The Cameroon Bar Association also warned the amendment “erodes the democratic legitimacy (of) the presidential office” and undermines the country’s constitution.

The world's oldest leader, Paul Biya’s health has been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving governance to key party officials and family members.

Biya has been in power since 1982. His reelection to an eighth term in 2025 sparked widespread protests that left at least four people dead, signaling growing tensions between the mostly young population and its aging president.