Biya back home at last!.

The Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, only came back later with a clip of Biya greeting collaborators, whereas viewers had only been fed with the President’s fingers waving at the crowd as his convoy existed the airport.

Going by images that later emerged on CRTV and the Civil Cabinet website, the President was received by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute and the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

Hundreds of supporters of the President’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, party also lined up at the airport and other strategic points across Yaounde to welcome Biya and wife. 

Shortly after the brief airport formalities, President Biya and wife boarded their car and headed for the Unity Palace. 

At the entrance of the Unity Palace, the President was again greeted by a cheering crowd, clad in CPDM fabric.

Biya returned in a special context of several rumours   having trailed his absence from public view. This, for some, justifies the heavy deployment of at least 200 staff of the Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, to cover the President’s return.

Since he departed Yaounde in the early hours of Sunday June 7, 2026, Biya had been the subject of several narratives. 

Some international media reports worsened the debates with reports claiming the President was in bad shape and was not going to return anytime soon.

Yet, from the comfort of their offices in Yaounde, some of the President’s ministers who occupy key positions within the CPDM, battled it out with others at home. 

This was the case, especially when opposition stakeholders and other persons started raising alarm of a vacancy at the helm of State.

Time to celebrate, honour lionesses?

Yesterday’s return of the Head of State has left many hoping that even before Biya settles down to attend to other pressing State files, he will first celebrate and honour the Indomitable Lionesses. 

Having won the 2026 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday August 16, 2026, President Biya is expected to crown the honour.

Prime Minister Dion Ngute, whom Biya had dispatched to Morocco when the Lionesses qualified for the final of the tournament, said Saturday that Biya and wife, Chantal, were waiting for the trophy in Yaounde. 

With the trophy having arrived Monday before the President’s return, the doors of the Unity Palace are expected to open for the Head of State to honour the team, for giving Cameroon its first WAFCON trophy.

Record stay abroad in 44 years

With Biya back in Yaounde, the record of his brief-long stays abroad before this year have now been broken. He has now put the longest time he ever spent outside Cameroon, at 74 days; since coming to power on November 6, 1982. History will now remember that it happened between June 7, 2026 and August 20, 2026.

Before this year’s trip, which caused much ink to flow across the globe, Biya had spent 49 days abroad between September 4, 2024 and October 6, 2024, sparking similar concerns. 

Unlike this year, then, he first boarded a plane from Yaounde for the Forum on China-Africa Corporation. After the Summit, he didn’t return to Cameroon but headed to an unannounced destination, provoking much talk across the board.

Biya back, but what will change?

The question on many pundits’ lips is what will change with Biya back in Yaounde?  While some say nothing much is going to change, there are those who are projecting a tsunami of Presidential actions in the coming days.

Biya, they are stating, akin to his unpredictable nature, may have returned with major decisions that will shape the life of the nation and its future. For one thing, since his re-election on October 12, 2025, a lot of promises are yet to see the light of the day.

Among them is the formation of a new government, which he announced on December 31, 2025, that he was going to form “in the coming days”. 

He again on the eve of this year’s Youth Day, February 10; said sweeping changes were going to be made at the helm of public corporations and establishments. Months on, nothing has happened.

The post of Vice President, reintroduced in the Constitution in April this year, has not be acted upon. He signed the amendment into law but has not also appointed any Vice President. 

The change in text was in line with a promise Biya made shortly after being sworn in on November 6, 2025.

Beyond these recent files, there are a plethora of issues which the President has for long been expected to act upon that continue to remain moribund. 

It is now being said that it remains to be seen if the 74 days abroad were being used to prepare for major changes or were just like any other journey to the western world.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3885 of Friday August 21, 2026