Addressing the controversy surrounding the head of state’s extended absence, Jacques Fame Ndongo, Cameroon’s Minister of State, dismissed such claims as legal and political absurdities. He emphasized that no national law or regulation stipulates a maximum duration for a president’s absence from the country.

According to the minister, any attempt to apply a non-existent constitutional provision to President Paul Biya would amount to legal manipulation and a gross distortion of facts. He described such arguments as fantastical inventions by legal opportunists.

Fame Ndongo further clarified that the Cameroonian leader, in office since 1982, remains actively engaged in governance. He meticulously reviews submitted files, whether in person or through widely used digital platforms.

Opposition fires back

The Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), led by opposition figure Maurice Kamto, swiftly responded to the government’s statement. Mamadou Mota, the party’s vice-president, questioned the legitimacy of governance from abroad: “How many weeks of physical absence render the exercise of presidential duties meaningless? Forty-five days outside national territory isn’t just a stay—it’s a de facto exile.”

The MRC also mocked the notion of Cameroon being “the first nation governed through covert remote work,” suggesting that President Biya’s overseas activities contradict the image of an engaged leader.