In less than one week, Cameroonians will head to the polls, where both returning and first-time voters will cast ballots to decide their nation’s leadership for the next seven years.
As Cameroon prepares for Election Day on October 12, the air is filled with a mix of hope and hesitation. For many, this is a routine event, but for thousands of young people across the nation, it marks a significant first, the first time they will cast a ballot. This energy is not universal from social media comments. In quiet corners and online forums, a different story unfolds among other card-carrying citizens.
Some express a deep-seated fatigue, a feeling that their vote will not truly change the outcome of this 2025 election. “What difference will my one vote make, I just think it’s before I stay like I have always done » that is Essomba Denis who says her vote cannot bring a change. This has been a common question, pointing to a belief that the political landscape is already decided. Others see the election not as a potential for change, but as a continuation.
For these individuals, October 12 will simply mean the start of a new term for an existing regime, as some put it, « an old regime renewed”. Freddy Nkandem. They feel that regardless of the result, the fundamental way the country runs will remain the same, making the effort to vote feel pointless to them.
Longla Raphael captured the nation’s mixed feelings, saying his chosen candidate was removed from the list, leaving him with no other choice than thinks his vote was taken away. yet he still believes « we should breathe another regime to feel it”. This reflects the difficult choice many faces between past disappointments and the hope for something new.
