This world's most aged leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he aims for his eighth consecutive term in office on Sunday.
The nonagenarian has already been in office for over four decades - an additional seven-year mandate could see him rule for half a century until he will be almost a century old.
He ignored widespread calls to leave office and has been criticised for only showing up for a single campaign event, devoting much of the election season on a ten-day unofficial journey to the European continent.
A backlash over his reliance on an computer-generated election advertisement, as his opponents sought constituents on the ground, saw him rush north after coming back.
It means that for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they have known - more than sixty percent of the nation's 30 million inhabitants are below the 25 years old.
Youthful campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "different faces" as she thinks "prolonged leadership naturally results in a sort of laziness".
"With 43 years passed, the population are tired," she states.
Youth unemployment has become a notable issue of concern for most of the candidates running in the election.
Nearly 40% of youthful citizens aged from 15 to 35 years are jobless, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates experiencing problems in securing regular work.
In addition to youth unemployment, the election system has created controversy, particularly regarding the exclusion of a political rival from the presidential race.
The disqualification, confirmed by the legal authority, was broadly condemned as a tactic to prevent any serious competition to the current leader.
12 candidates were cleared to contest for the leadership position, comprising an ex-government official and Bello Bouba Maigari - both ex- Biya associates from the north of the nation.
In Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and South-West areas, where a long-running insurgency ongoing, an poll avoidance lockdown has been enforced, halting economic functions, transport and learning.
Rebel groups who have imposed it have promised to attack anyone who participates.
Beginning in 2017, those attempting to establish a breakaway state have been fighting government forces.
The violence has to date caused the deaths of at least 6,000 lives and forced approximately 500,000 others from their houses.
Once polling concludes, the legal body has two weeks to reveal the findings.
The security chief has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is permitted to claim success prior to official results.
"Individuals who will attempt to reveal findings of the political race or any personal declaration of success contrary to the rules of the republic would have crossed the red line and should be ready to face retaliatory measures commensurate to their offense."
Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for exploring emerging technologies and their impact on society.
