CAMEROON’S top court today declared President Paul Biya the winner of the October 12 election, extending his 42-year rule.

The Constitutional Council said Mr Biya, the world’s oldest head of state at 92, secured 53.66 per cent of the vote, while his main challenger and former ally Issa Tchiroma Bakary won 35.19 per cent.

The race that saw a 57.7 per cent turnout.

Mr Tchiroma rejected the results, alleging widespread irregularities, and said in a social media post that two people were shot dead in his hometown of Garoua during unrest.

At least four protesters were killed in Douala on Sunday as hundreds took to the streets against election fraud.

Authorities said 105 protesters were arrested and several security officers were injured.

Videos posted online showed police firing tear gas and clashing with demonstrators who blocked major roads in cities including Douala, Garoua and Maroua.

The government said it had detained several people accused of plotting violent attacks.

The long-serving leader’s decision to seek another term angered many young Cameroonians, who accuse him of manipulating the election through the “state machinery” and sidelining stronger rivals.

“I am ready to stake my life to defend my vote,” said Oumarou Bouba, a 27-year-old trader in Maroua.

“I voted for Tchiroma because I want change.”

Hotel worker Sani Aladji, 28, said: “There’s rampant corruption under Biya’s regime. We don’t have roads.”

More than 70 per cent of Cameroon’s nearly 30 million people are under 35, highlighting the generational divide between Africa’s ageing rulers and its youth.

Critics said Mr Biya’s rule since 1982 has led Cameroon into crises, including Boko Haram attacks in the north and a secessionist conflict in the English-speaking regions that has killed nearly 7,000 people and displaced more than a million.