YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – In a stunning and unprecedented public rebuke, Brenda Biya, the daughter of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, has openly called on citizens not to vote for her father in future elections, condemning his decades-long rule and accusing him of living a life of luxury abroad at the nation’s expense.
The dramatic declaration, made on social media, marks a profound schism within the first family and offers a rare, insider’s critique of one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. President Biya, 91, has ruled the Central African nation for over 43 years.
The younger Biya’s comments directly challenge her father’s legitimacy and highlight his well-documented absences from the country. President Biya, who has maintained power since 1982, is frequently criticized for spending extended periods at the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, with his family.
“My father has already labelled me a prodigal daughter simply because I refuse to pretend and support his continued rule over Cameroon after 43 years,” Brenda Biya was quoted as saying.
She detailed the personal cost of her defiance, stating her father calls her “a spoiled brat for defying the dynasty and blames himself for giving me a good life.” However, she forcefully rejected this notion, framing her privilege as a source of guilt rather than comfort.
“But what is a ‘good life’ without happiness?” she asked. “Is life truly good when it comes at the expense of the average Cameroonian’s happiness, who yearns for freedom and peace of mind, knowing that the wealth beneath Cameroon’s soil is exploited to fund the luxuries of Western elites?”
Her statement concludes with a direct appeal to the Cameroonian people: “Call me names, Father! But the people of Cameroon deserve freedom!”
The public airing of such deep familial and political grievances is virtually unheard of in Cameroon, where dissent is often suppressed. The Biya government has long been accused by international human rights groups of authoritarianism, corruption, and violently cracking down on opposition.
There has been no immediate official response from the government or the presidency regarding Brenda Biya’s explosive claims. The statement is likely to send shockwaves through Cameroon’s political landscape, potentially energizing an opposition that has struggled to unseat a leader critics call out of touch with the struggles of his own people.
