Gerontocracy as a betrayal of Africa’s youth and a deeper crisis

Paul Biya’s 8th term and Alassane Ouattara’s 4th are not victories; they are national tragedies

- Wellington Muzengeza

Stagnation: Cameroon President Paul Biya and other long-time African leaders represent the tyranny of longevity, where power is hoarded rather than handed over, say the writer. Photo: Cameroon Government

(Cameroon Government)

The reelection of Cameroon’s Paul Biya at 92 and Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara at 83 is not merely a political aberration; it is a profound insult to Africa’s youth, a mockery of democratic renewal and a tragic affirmation of the continent’s gerontocratic malaise. These victories, secured under questionable circumstances, reflect a deeper crisis: the systematic recycling of aged elites at the expense of generational transition, institutional integrity, and the future of African governance.

The persistence of power: Biya and Quattara as symbols of stagnation

Biya’s eighth term, secured after 43 years in power, and Alassane Ouattara’s fourth term, won with 89.8% of the vote amid opposition boycotts and disqualifications, are not triumphs of democracy; they are symptoms of a continent struggling to retire its old guard. These leaders, once hailed as stabilising forces, now represent the tyranny of longevity, where power is hoarded rather than handed over, and where the youth are spectators to a theatre of political absurdity.

In Cameroon, Biya’s victory was declared by a Constitutional Council led by Atangana Clement (84), part of a ruling elite whose average age exceeds 80.

In the Ivory Coast, Ouattara’s win came despite widespread apathy, with only 50.1% voter turnout, and the disqualification of major rivals, including Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam. The participation of Simone Gbagbo, former First Lady and wife of the ousted strongman garnered a mere 2.42% of the vote, a failed attempt to resurrect a legacy that the youth have long rejected.

Gerontocracy and the collapse of institutional vitality