Governance expert Benjamin Ngongang has taken direct aim at President Paul Biya’s recurring absences and prolonged stays abroad, framing the issue as a fundamental breach of democratic accountability.

The topic dominated discussions on Sunday’s Canal Presse program on Canal 2 International, a private broadcaster based in Douala. Ngongang, appearing as a guest analyst, condemned what he describes as a pattern of presidential governance conducted entirely from foreign soil, with no visible engagement in ground-level statecraft.

«The President of the Republic is not elected to govern from abroad. Even opposition figures—and now even members of the ruling majority—should be alarmed that the Head of State has now spent 49 days outside the country. He left on June 7, and as of today, July 26, that’s 49 days. He’s just matched his previous record, and if he doesn’t return tonight, he’ll break it and set a new high for prolonged absence.»

«No other country in the world tolerates this kind of situation. Cameroon is truly breaking new ground—there is no nation where a president remains abroad for more than 30 consecutive days, whether for personal reasons or official duties.» Ngongang continued during the live broadcast.

«Consider the leaders of countries facing far greater challenges—the U.S. President and Iran’s Assembly Speaker, both engaged in active warfare, still manage to conduct state business without disappearing for nearly two months. They travel, conclude meetings, and return. A head of state’s role is to finalize negotiations that are otherwise handled by technical teams. Staying away for weeks on end undermines national stability and public trust.»