Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has rejected calls to annul the results of the highly contested presidential election held on 12 October, announcing that the final outcome will be declared on Monday. The decision has intensified political unrest, with opposition supporters staging widespread protests across major cities, alleging electoral fraud, including ballot-stuffing. The judges dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities and jurisdictional limitations. Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government spokesman who defected from President Paul Biya’s camp, has declared himself the winner, claiming to have secured 55% of the vote based on unofficial tallies. Biya, 92, who has ruled Cameroon for 43 years, is seeking another seven-year term. Bakary has refused to file formal complaints with the Constitutional Council, accusing it of bias due to its Biya-appointed judges. He warned of potential civil unrest if the official results do not reflect the electorate’s will. Biya’s ruling party has dismissed Bakary’s self-proclaimed victory as illegal, emphasizing that only the Constitutional Council can validate election results. The Catholic Church has urged the Council to ensure the verdict aligns with voters’ intentions. The escalating tensions have raised fears of post-election violence in a nation already grappling with separatist conflicts in Anglophone regions and Boko Haram insurgencies in the Far North.