A Prayer For The Liberation Of Cameroon From The Grip Of Paul Biya -By Isaac Asabor

Heavenly Father,

You are the Maker of all nations and the righteous Judge who sits enthroned forever. You lift up kings and remove them. You said in Your word, “Ask, and it shall be given; seek, and ye shall find.” Today, Lord, I come before You not merely as a Nigerian, but as an African, deeply troubled by what is happening in Cameroon.

Lord, You know my heart, I have no vote in Cameroon, no political stake in their coming election of October 12, 2025. Yet, as an African who believes in justice and democracy, I cannot stay silent. Because when a man overstays in power in one African country, it sends tremors across the continent. When democracy is strangled in Yaoundé, its echoes reach Lagos, Accra, Banjul, Dakar, Johannesburg, and beyond. We are all connected, Lord.

And so, I lift my voice to You today concerning Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, forty-three long years. Lord, that is not leadership anymore; it has become possession. You have seen nations rise and fall in that time. You have seen new generations emerge, young, vibrant Africans born and raised entirely under Biya’s rule, who have never known another president. This is not continuity, Lord; it is captivity.

Father, You are the giver of life, but You are also the author of seasons. You created day and night, summer and winter, planting and harvest. You never designed leadership to be eternal for any mortal man. But Biya has defied this divine rhythm, holding onto power far beyond reason, beyond strength, and beyond wisdom.

Lord, from Nigeria to Ghana, from Gambia to Senegal, from Kenya to South Africa, we are watching with heavy hearts. We are tired of seeing the same story of sit-tight rulers who mistake endurance for excellence. We have seen this movie before, from the late Robert Mugabe to Yahya Jammeh, and now Paul Biya still clinging to power in Cameroon. Father, it is enough.

You, O Lord, are the same God who dethroned Nebuchadnezzar when pride filled his heart. You silenced Pharaoh when he refused to let Your people go. You brought down Herod when he sought glory for himself. Do it again, Lord. Show Africa that You still rule in the affairs of men.

Paul Biya is 92 years old, Lord. His bones are weary, his strength is gone, and his vision for the nation has faded. You, who created man from dust, know that at such an age, the body is frail and the mind grows dim. How can one lead a youthful, restless, innovative generation from the wheelchair of old age and the corridors of nostalgia?

Father, I am not praying this prayer out of hatred, but out of love, love for Cameroon and for Africa. Because every time a ruler refuses to leave office, it tarnishes the image of our continent. It tells the world that Africa cannot manage peaceful transitions; that we are addicted to political permanence; that we mistake fear for stability. Lord, prove them wrong.

Let the election of October 12, 2025, be different. Let it be the day You write a new chapter in Cameroon’s history. Let it be the day when the people’s voices are louder than the machinery of manipulation. Let no ballot box be stolen, no result altered, no conscience bought. Frustrate the schemes of those who plan to perpetuate this long night of leadership fatigue.

Father, You said in Proverbs that when the righteous rule, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan. Cameroon has been groaning for decades. The youth groan because unemployment crushes them. The poor groan because the economy bleeds. The hopeful groan because change seems forever postponed. Lord, how long shall this groaning continue?

We pray that You raise a new generation of leaders in Cameroon, men and women with integrity, empathy, and courage. Leaders who will rebuild what has been broken, restore faith in democracy, and reconnect the government with the governed. Let this election mark a peaceful transition, a new beginning, not another recycled lie.

Lord, give Paul Biya the grace to step down with dignity. Let him find rest not on the throne, but in the quiet of retirement. Let him see that the greatest legacy a leader can leave is not in how long he ruled, but in how gracefully he exited. Touch his heart, Lord. Convict him in his quiet moments that enough is enough.

Across Africa, Lord, many of us are praying this same prayer. From Lagos to Kigali, we are tired of seeing old men sitting on the destinies of young nations. We are tired of seeing our brightest minds migrate because leadership has become a lifetime contract for the few. Lord, intervene in Cameroon as a signal that You have not forgotten Africa.

We know, Lord, that You hear the cry of the oppressed. You said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if Your people humble themselves and pray, You will hear from heaven and heal their land. So we ask, heal Cameroon, Lord. Heal her from the disease of political stagnation. Heal her from the curse of power addiction. Heal her from the fear of change.

Let the October election bring forth new hope. Let it usher in a leader who will not serve self but serve the people. Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Let the chains of old order break, and let democracy be reborn in Cameroon.

Father, we believe Your word that whatever we ask in faith, You will do. We therefore ask boldly that Paul Biya shall not win the coming election, not through the ballot, not through deceit, not through manipulation. Let Your divine hand write a new story for Cameroon.

For too long, Africa has been mocked because of leaders who treat power like personal inheritance. But You, O Lord, are the same God who overthrew mighty empires and humbled proud kings. Do it again, for the sake of truth and justice.

Arise, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered. Let Cameroon’s chains be broken. Let her people rise in freedom. Let this be the beginning of a new dawn, not just for Cameroon, but for all of Africa.

In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Postscript:

As a Nigerian, I write this prayer with the conviction that leadership failure in one African country affects us all. Paul Biya’s prolonged stay in power is not merely a Cameroonian issue, it is an African tragedy. If democracy is to have meaning on this continent, then it must also have limits. Leadership must not be a lifetime occupation. For Cameroon and Africa to move forward, Biya must step aside, not in disgrace, but in the grace of acceptance that no man, however powerful, can reign forever.