LIBREVILLE: Cameroon’s opposition challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed election victory on Tuesday against incumbent President Paul Biya, who has been in power for 43 years, although official results for the weekend vote are not expected for two weeks. “Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” Tchiroma declared in a post on Facebook. He urged the government to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or “plunge the country into turmoil” and promised to publish detailed results by region. “The people have chosen,” he added.

Biya, who has ruled for 43 years, is seeking an eighth term despite calls for him to step down.

While Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, seeks an eighth term in office at the age of 92, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former minister turned opposition leader, has benefited from a…