Judges in Cameroon have dismissed calls for the partial or total cancellation of the heavily disputed presidential election, stating they will announce the result on Monday.
Major cities have been gripped by protests as opposition supporters allege that the 12 October poll was marred by significant irregularities, including ballot-stuffing.
The Constitutional Council judges dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.
Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the winner — a claim rejected by allies of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who is seeking another seven-year term.
Biya has been in power for 43 years, having addressed only one campaign rally ahead of the election.
Tchiroma Bakary, 76, a former government spokesman, has broken ranks with Biya to challenge him for power. He opted not to file complaints with the Constitutional Council, whose judges were appointed by Biya, and instead declared himself the legal and legitimate president.
In a video statement on social media, Tchiroma Bakary asserted victory with about 55% of the vote, based on results he claims reflect 80% of the electorate. If the Constitutional Council proclaims falsified and truncated results, it will be complicit in a breach of trust, he warned.
The ruling party has dismissed his claims of victory, stating that only the Constitutional Council can proclaim official results.
This situation has led to rising tensions and fears of post-electoral violence in a nation already struggling with separatist conflicts in Anglophone regions and a Boko Haram insurgency in the north.
Amid growing unease, the influential Catholic Church has called upon judges to ensure that their verdict represents the will of the voters.
