logo
#

Latest news with #democraticchange

Cameroon's president seeks an eighth term at the age of 92
Cameroon's president seeks an eighth term at the age of 92

Associated Press

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • Associated Press

Cameroon's president seeks an eighth term at the age of 92

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Cameroon's 92-year-old president announced Sunday he will seek his eighth term in the October elections. The announcement comes after speculation the aging leader would not run, setting the stage for an electoral showdown. Paul Biya, Africa's second-longest-serving president after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, is frequently sick and abroad. Last year, talk spread that he had died, prompting the government to publicly deny the rumors. Cameroon's second president since independence from France in 1960, Biya has been in power since 1982. Promising that the best is yet to come in his post on social media, Biya reiterated his determination to rule, saying, 'Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us.' The more than 40 years of Biya's rule have left a lasting impact. His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a secessionist movement in Cameroon's English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school and triggered deadly clashes with security forces. 'President Biya's announcement to run again is a clear sign of Cameroon's stalled political transition. After over 40 years in power, what the country needs is renewal — not repetition. Cameroonians deserve democratic change and accountable leadership,' Nkongho Felix Agbor, a human rights advocate and lawyer told The Associated Press. Boko Haram group, based in neighboring Nigeria. He cruised to victory in 2018 with over 70% of the vote in an election marred by irregularities and low turnout due to ongoing separatist and jihadi violence. In a region threatened with shrinking democratic space, several other African countries also have presidents accused of using state mechanisms to prolong their stay in power. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently sought nomination for a seventh term, a move that would bring him closer to five decades in power in the East African country.

Nigeria's ex-President Muhammadu Buhari dies in London aged 82
Nigeria's ex-President Muhammadu Buhari dies in London aged 82

Al Jazeera

time2 days ago

  • Politics
  • Al Jazeera

Nigeria's ex-President Muhammadu Buhari dies in London aged 82

Nigeria's former President Muhammadu Buhari has died in London at the age of 82 following a long illness. 'President Buhari died today in London at about 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) following a prolonged illness,' President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson announced on Sunday via the social media platform X. Buhari made history in 2015 when he became the first opposition candidate in Nigeria's modern era to defeat a sitting president at the polls, unseating Goodluck Jonathan in what was widely praised as the country's most credible election. A retired major general, Buhari first ruled Nigeria in the 1980s after taking power in a military coup. He later rebranded himself as a civilian politician, adopting a softer image in flowing kaftans and declaring himself a 'converted democrat'. Known for his austere style and fiery rhetoric against corruption, Buhari was seen by his supporters as a reformer. 'I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,' he often declared, seeking to position himself above Nigeria's entrenched political factions. Yet his presidency struggled to contain rising insecurity. While he promised to defeat Boko Haram and restore order, armed violence spread far beyond the northeast. Gunmen, separatists, and criminal groups operated with impunity across large parts of the country by the end of his tenure. Still, Buhari leaves behind a legacy as a symbol of democratic change in Nigeria, even if the transformation he promised remained incomplete. A mixed legacy Buhari is being remembered as both a pivotal figure in the country's democratic evolution and a deeply flawed leader when it came to economic management and security. Speaking to Al Jazeera from London, Alexis Akwagyiram, managing editor at Semafor and a longtime observer of Nigerian politics, said Buhari will be remembered for achieving what many thought impossible: winning power as an opposition candidate. 'He was the first opposition candidate since the return to civilian rule to win at the ballot box,' Akwagyiram said, referencing Buhari's 2015 victory over Jonathan. 'History will remember him favourably for that.' Yet Akwagyiram was blunt about the failings that marked Buhari's time in office. He described the former general as 'very ineffective' in managing Nigeria's economy, citing his insistence on maintaining a strong naira, which led to a convoluted system of multiple exchange rates and two recessions during his tenure. 'His handling of the economy wasn't great,' Akwagyiram noted, pointing to his fallout with former Niger Delta insurgents that led to renewed attacks on oil infrastructure. Combined with low global oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, these factors pushed Nigeria – once Africa's largest economy – down to fourth place. On security, Buhari's record was equally disappointing, Akwagyiram said. Although elected with a promise to crack down on Boko Haram, an insurgency in Nigeria's northeast only expanded under his leadership. A rival faction, the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP), also emerged and spread, while armed kidnapping gangs flourished in the northwest. 'All that happened was Boko Haram and ISWAP both proliferated under his tenure,' Akwagyiram said. 'The armed forces were spread thin across the country and became weakened overall.' Despite the criticisms, Akwagyiram highlighted why Buhari resonated so strongly with many Nigerians. 'He had the personal brand of integrity and honesty,' he said. 'In a political climate renowned for corruption, that was appealing.' Buhari's austere image and northern support base helped him build a national coalition that twice propelled him to the presidency, a rare feat in Nigerian politics. 'He didn't try to enrich himself,' Akwagyiram said. 'That's something history will look on favourably.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store