Paul Biya

In 1961, Paul Biya married Jeanne-Irène Biya, and they did not have any children of their own, but they adopted Franck Biya.

Paul Biya succeeded Ahmadou Ahidjo as President of Cameroon on 6 November 1982, consolidating power after a staged attempted coup in 1983–1984.

Paul Biya took the helm of the ruling Cameroon National Union (CNU) at an 'extraordinary session' of the party held on 14 September 1983, following the resignation of Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Paul Biya was the sole candidate in the presidential election held on 14 January 1984, winning 99.98% of the vote.

Paul Biya survived a military coup attempt on 6 April 1984, following his decision to disband the Republican Guard and disperse its members across the military.

Paul Biya was re-elected as President of Cameroon on 24 April 1988.

In 1990, President Biya took steps to open up the regime, leading to the decision to legalize opposition parties.

On 11 October 1992, President Biya won the first multiparty presidential election with about 40% of the vote, amid allegations of fraud by the opposition.

In 1994, Cameroon's President Biya filed a suit at the International Court of Justice regarding the dispute over the Bakassi peninsula, based on historical agreements and declarations. This legal action led to a significant ruling in 2002.

In the October 1997 presidential election, President Biya was re-elected with 92.6 percent of the vote, amid a boycott by the main opposition parties.

President Biya was re-elected as the National President of the RDPC at the party's second extraordinary congress on 7 July 2001.

On October 10, 2002, the International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Cameroon in the dispute over the Bakassi peninsula, instructing Nigeria to withdraw immediately from the region. This ruling had a major impact on the territorial control and governance of the region.

Biya won another seven-year term in the 11 October 2004 presidential election, officially taking 70.92 percent of the vote, although the opposition again alleged widespread fraud.

In June 2006, Cameroon and Nigeria signed the Greentree Agreement, which required Nigeria to withdraw its troops from Bakassi by 2008 and mandated Cameroon to protect the rights of Nigerian citizens in the region. This agreement facilitated the peaceful transfer of the territory to Cameroon.

In May 2007, the Cameroon–Nigeria Mixed Commission finalized the maritime boundary between the two countries, marking a significant step in resolving the territorial dispute and promoting peaceful conflict resolution in the region.

On 10 April 2008, the National Assembly voted to change the Constitution to remove term limits, allowing President Biya to seek re-election despite opposition and protests.

On 12 June 2006, President Biya signed the Greentree Agreement with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, formally putting an end to the Bakassi peninsula border dispute.

In 2009, Paul Biya was ranked 19th in Parade Magazine's Top 20 list of 'The World's Worst Dictators'.

In the October 2011 presidential election, Biya secured a sixth term in office, amid allegations of wide-scale fraud by his opponents.

By 2015, the Cameroon–Nigeria Mixed Commission had met 38 times and surveyed a significant portion of the boundary between the two countries, contributing to the negotiation and implementation of the International Court of Justice's ruling.

In 2016, Cameroonians in the nation's capital city of Yaoundé criticized Biya's reaction to the country's worst train crash in which 79 people died.

Biya won the 2018 presidential election with 71.3% of the vote, despite violence and low voter turnout.

As of 2022, Paul Biya is the longest serving non-royal head of state, having been in power since June 30, 1975.