Gambiaj.com – (YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon) – In a dramatic twist ahead of Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election, Brenda Biya, the only daughter of President Paul Biya, has publicly urged Cameroonians not to vote for her father, accusing him of causing widespread suffering.
In a video posted on TikTok that has since gone viral, the 27-year-old appears to speak from a hotel room, recounting alleged mistreatment and abandonment by her own family. The personal grievances quickly took on a political edge as she declared, “Do not vote for Paul Biya. He made a lot of people suffer, including his own family. I hope we will have another president.”
The unprecedented statement has ignited debate across Cameroon, where Paul Biya — in power since 1982 — is seeking re-election for another term. Opposition figures have widely welcomed Brenda Biya’s intervention, praising her “courage” in openly disavowing the long-serving leader.
This is not the first time Brenda Biya has publicly clashed with Cameroon’s conservative establishment. In July 2024, she revealed her homosexuality in another video, drawing significant attention in a country known for its strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC) has pushed back at the viral video.
Party spokesperson Patrick Rifoe condemned what he described as “the abjection that consists in exploiting the distress of a young woman for political purposes, even if she is the daughter of the President of the Republic.”
He also argued that Brenda Biya’s remarks were evidence of “the democratic character of the presidential family.”
With just weeks to go before the polls, the video has added a new layer of tension to Cameroon’s already charged electoral atmosphere, underscoring growing divisions around the country’s longest-serving leader.
