Jovi Urges President Paul Biya to Step Down Amid 2025 Election Tensions
Popular Cameroonian rapper and cultural icon Jovi has made headlines after publicly urging President Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for over four decades, to consider stepping down from office and not run in the upcoming October 12, 2025 presidential election. In a post on Twitter, Jovi expressed admiration for Biya but pointedly noted that the 91-year-old leader is “a little old” and needs to “rest,” sparking a nationwide conversation about leadership transition, succession, and the future of the Central African nation.
“I love H.E Paul Biya, that’s my best President ever. I just think now he is a little old and he needs to rest. I think now we should focus on his health. Saaaah!!! I trust he will select the right person to succeed him. He is the smartest of them all. Cameroon Oyé 🇨🇲,” Jovi tweeted to his over half a million followers.
While the post was couched in respectful language and admiration for Biya’s intelligence and past leadership, the underlying message is clear: Jovi is calling for a peaceful and honorable retirement of the long-time president. The rapper’s words reflect a broader sentiment quietly growing among Cameroonians — a desire for generational change and political renewal after decades of centralized power.
Biya’s Legacy and Longevity
President Paul Biya has been in power since 1982, making him one of the world’s longest-serving leaders. Under his rule, Cameroon has experienced both periods of stability and deep internal crisis, particularly in the Anglophone regions. Critics have long accused his government of authoritarianism, electoral manipulation, and failure to address systemic inequality and unrest.
Yet despite these criticisms, Biya maintains a loyal base and control over key institutions, including the military and constitutional council. His decision regarding the 2025 election remains unannounced, though his party — the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) — has not officially put forward any other candidate, fueling speculation he may run again.
Jovi’s remarks are significant not merely because of their content, but because of who is saying them. As one of Cameroon’s most influential artists, Jovi has often used his platform to comment on social and political issues, resonating particularly with younger generations.
His tweet represents a rare public intervention from a mainstream celebrity into Cameroon’s tense political landscape, and it could embolden other artists, intellectuals, and civil society figures to speak more openly about leadership transition.
Cameroon faces deepening challenges — from the unresolved Anglophone crisis and economic stagnation to rising youth unemployment and political disenchantment. Many analysts believe that a peaceful political transition could offer a path toward reconciliation, reform, and renewed international confidence.
Jovi’s words capture this moment of uncertainty but also hope — that President Biya might use this opportunity to step down with dignity, endorse a successor, and help facilitate a new era in Cameroon’s political history.
While President Biya has yet to declare his intentions for the October election, voices like Jovi’s are becoming harder to ignore. The rapper’s carefully worded plea — steeped in respect but grounded in political realism — adds pressure to a ruling elite grappling with questions of legacy, legitimacy, and longevity.
Whether this tweet marks the beginning of a wider movement or remains a lone voice in the wilderness, one thing is certain: the 2025 election will be a defining moment for Cameroon, and the nation’s youth are no longer silent.
