As the divided Cameroon inches closer to the 2025 presidential elections, thousands of Cameroonian voters are itching to see their spiritual leaders like Bishops and Imams play a major role in deciding who will be Cameroon’s next head of state.

Spiritual leaders in Cameroon have always urged their followers to pray for peace and vote for the candidate that guarantees stability. But the 2025 presidential elections might be different as three Roman Catholic bishops have called on 91-year-old President Biya not to run for the highest office in the land.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, Bishop Emmanuel Abbo of the diocese of Ngaoundéré and Bishop Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua have all said that Mr Biya should step down.

While some Roman Catholic revered fathers have openly and privately endorsed the position of the Bishops, renowned French Cameroun political commentator Moussa Njoya in a recent outing opined that Cameroon Imams and Islamic experts must not hide behind so-called religious teachings, and a supposed specialty and specificity, to justify their cowardice and corruption.

Moussa Njoya stated that following statements by Roman Catholic bishops on bad governance in Cameroon and on President Biya’s candidacy for the October 2025 presidential election, Cameroon Imams should also give their position on the subject. For him, it is not a question of taking subsidies from the Ministry of Territorial Administration, but of taking a clear stand.

Njoya furthered that Cameroonians should not be surprised that after the outbursts from the Roman Catholic bishops, Imams will be coming out with motions of support for the Cameroonian dictator.

“The role of the clergy is to tell the people what the lord wants; if we tell the Cameroonian people this is who God wants, but they refuse, then it’s up to them. Roman Catholic Bishops are not for Biya and they are not for anybody; they simply stand for God” a revered father contacted by this reporter in Yaoundé and who sued for anonymity said.

The 2025 presidential election is not going to be business as usual; Cameroonians Francophone and Anglophone are well informed.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai