CDU Leader Tomaino Ndam Njoya calls for urgent institutional reforms following Biya’s prolonged absence
The 2025 presidential candidate and Mayor of Foumban, Tomaino Ndam Njoya, has called for urgent institutional reforms to guarantee the continuity of the state, as President Paul Biya’s absence from the country stretches beyond 41 days without official clarification.
In a statement released on Saturday, the President of the Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) said her party does not intend to speculate on the Head of State’s personal situation or fuel rumours.
However, she warned that a prolonged absence from the national territory “raises the legitimate question of the continuity of public action, the effective exercise of presidential responsibilities, and the mechanisms applicable in the event of temporary incapacity.”
Biya left Cameroon on June 7, 2026, for what the presidency described as a private visit to Europe.
On June 18, Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi assured the public that the President would return “as soon as possible.” More than one month later, no return date has been announced.
Tomaino Ndam Njoya noted that the constitutional revision of April 14, 2026, which reintroduced the position of Vice-President of the la Republique du Cameroun, modified the organization of continuity at the highest level of the State.
She argued that the current situation demonstrates the need to fully operationalize this system by appointing a Vice-President.
The CDU leader called for the establishment of clear rules and timeframes for prolonged presidential absences, guaranteed regular updates to the nation and Parliament, and an impartial procedure for determining temporary or permanent incapacitation.
“The goal is not to transform an absence into a political crisis, but to prevent a deficiency in our constitutional mechanisms from becoming an institutional crisis tomorrow,” the statement read
CDU Leader Tomaino Ndam Njoya calls for urgent institutional reforms following Biya’s prolonged absence
