President Paul Biya’s extended absence from Cameroon has sparked renewed debate about a potential power vacuum at the highest level of government. According to Joshua Osih, leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the country is effectively operating on autopilot.

Departing on June 7 for what was described as a short private stay in Europe, President Paul Biya has yet to return to Yaoundé after more than 40 days abroad. This prolonged absence has reignited discussions about a possible leadership void at the helm of the state.

During a press conference on Thursday, July 23, SDF leader and Member of Parliament Joshua Osih expressed concern over this political situation, which he believes is plunging the country into uncertainty. “A Head of State absent for over six weeks. An empty vice presidency. Cameroon operating on autopilot—and we cannot afford to rely on autopilot in the midst of a storm,” the lawmaker declared.

The opposition leader emphasized that his party is not here to fan the flames of discord. “We have come with water to extinguish the fire,” he stated. Osih called for a return to the fundamental principles of the rule of law in Cameroon. His remarks echo demands already made by several opposition leaders and civil society figures, including Jean-Michel Nintcheu, who has urged the Constitutional Council to declare a power vacuum at Etoudi.

The ruling party, however, dismisses any notion of a power vacuum. “There is no power vacuum at the highest level of the state,” asserted Jacques Fame Ndongo, Cameroon’s Minister of State and National Communication Secretary of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).