Cameroon’s road to its October 12 presidential election has taken a dramatic turn following the exclusion of key opposition figure Maurice Kamto from the race. The country’s electoral commission, ELECAM, announced on Saturday that Kamto had failed to meet legal criteria, effectively barring him from standing in the high-stakes contest.

Kamto, a respected university professor and former minister, was widely considered the most formidable challenger to President Paul Biya, who has ruled the Central African nation for nearly 43 years. In the 2018 presidential elections, Kamto finished second with 14% of the vote, trailing Biya in a poll marred by widespread allegations of fraud.

ELECAM cited Section 121 of Cameroon’s electoral code, stating that Kamto’s party—the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM)—lost its eligibility to sponsor a candidate after boycotting the 2020 legislative and municipal elections. Although Kamto had accepted a nomination from the CRM, the commission deemed it invalid.

The decision narrows the presidential field to just 12 approved candidates out of more than 80 applicants, significantly dampening prospects for a competitive race. Biya, now 92, recently confirmed he would seek an eighth consecutive term, fueling concerns over democratic backsliding and growing political repression.

Kamto’s exclusion is likely to ignite unrest among opposition supporters and further erode public confidence in Cameroon’s electoral process. As the country inches closer to the polls, all eyes will be on how this move reshapes its political landscape—and whether citizens will accept yet another chapter in Biya’s decades-long rule.