One of the top ten Africa’s longest serving leaders, Paul Biya (92), has expressed the intention to stand for yet another term to contest for presidency in this year’s elections in the Central African state of Cameroon.
In his end-of-year address to the nation, Biya said he is attentive of the cries of his party members who he claims have embarked on a campaign to market him for candidacy in this year’s elections. He has been in leadership for 40 years.
As per the constitution of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, Biya remains the sole candidate of the party; he told Cameroonians that 2025 is a year full of challenges, and observers interpreted his message as a gesture that he sees himself as the fittest person to handle the challenges, meaning that he sees himself as President beyond 2025.
Below is the list of Africa’s ten longest serving leaders;
- Teodore Obiang Nguema Mbassogo of Equatorial Guinea who seized power in 1979, and has been in leadership for 45 years.
- Paul Biya who has been in leadership for 42 years.
- Dennis Sassou Nguesso of the Congo Republic who has been in leadership for 40 years.
- Yoweri Museveni of Uganda who has been in leadership for 38 years.
- King Mswati of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) has ruled for 38 years.
- Isaias Afwerki of Ethiopia who has been in leadership for 31 years.
- Letsining of Lesotho who has ruled for 28 years.
- Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti who has been in leadership for 25 years.
- King Mohammed IV of Morroco who has ruled for 25 years, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame who has ruled for 24 years.
