ALBAWABA - Brenda Biya, the daughter of President Paul Biya, has publicly told people not to vote for her father less than a month before the elections in Cameroon. This has shocked the country and sparked debate about the 92-year-old leader's long rule.
In a TikTok video that quickly went viral, the 27-year-old said her family had abused and abandoned her, and she said her father's leadership was making things worse for both Cameroonians and herself. "Don't vote for Paul Biya." "He has made Cameroonians suffer since he became president, even his own family," she said, adding that she hoped the country would choose a new president.
Opposition supporters cheered her comments, which they saw as a brave act against one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. Brenda, who lives in Switzerland, also said she would stop talking to her family and give up the money that came with her father's job.
The ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement condemned the comments, saying they were taking advantage of a young woman's pain for political gain. The party used what she said as proof of "the democratic character" of the presidential family.
The timing has led to speculation, with some people wondering if the video was real or made with AI. Briet Africa, a local news outlet, took the video down because they were worried about where it came from. Brenda has not yet said whether or not it is real.
President Biya has been in power since 1982 and is running for an eighth term, even though people are starting to doubt his health and he has been away for medical treatment several times. Some people say he can't lead anymore, while others say he has kept the country stable during years of unrest in the region.
If Biya wins the election on October 12, he will stay in office until he turns 100, which would be more than four decades, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world.
