Cameroonians went to the polls yesterday, where the world's oldest president, Paul Biya, is tipped to win his 8th term at the helm of the central African nation.
The 92-year-old, who has been in power since 1982, is determined to cling to power as the main challenger Maurice Kamto was barred from participating in the polls in July.
Only Equatorial Guinea's strongman, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has stayed in power longer than Biya. The Equatoguinean has been in power since 1979, nearing a half-century rule.
In Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in power since 1986, will be contesting next year's elections, saying he has some “unfinished business”, the famous phrase abused by long-serving leaders to hang on to power.
The long stayers have carte blanche after doing away with term limits, which ensure that leadership becomes a relay where leaders have to pass on the baton.
Post-independent Africa has created strong personalities, instead of strong institutions to check the excesses of leaders.
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From Denis Sassou Nguesso in Congo Brazzaville, Paul Kagame in Rwanda to Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Egypt, we have strong leaders who have ruthlessly decimated challengers to prolong their stay in power.
In Zimbabwe, loyalists are burning the midnight oil for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to prolong his stay when his constitutionally-mandated two terms end in 2028.
Mnangagwa has reiterated that he wants to go and rest at the end of his tenure.
Loyalists are having none of it, declaring that they want Mnangagwa's tenure to be extended. Initially, they wanted the term to be extended by two years to 2030.
Now, parallel structures camouflaged as affiliates are singing the 2035 hymn.
The zeal loyalists are displaying for the extension of Mnangagwa’s tenure has raised fears among neutrals that the president may “cave in to pressure”, although he has said that he will persuade the persuaders against prolonging his stay.
At the heart of long-serving leaders is the elevation of the leader to an all-powerful personality whose wisdom is the glue that holds the country together.
History is being rewritten, with a personality cult emerging.
When leaders begin to name roads, buildings and facilities after themselves, it’s a sign that they are here to stay and can do everything in their power to hang on.
Constitutions are being mutilated, removing the term limit clauses, which act as a buffer against those who want to prolong their stay.
In a continent in which more than half of the population is young, young leaders are required as they have the energy and zeal to continue going, allowing the octogenarians and nonagenarians time to write their memoirs.
The population is forward-looking and not handcuffed to the past of “we fought the colonisers”.
They want jobs, opportunities to live decent lives. They don’t want to perish in the Mediterranean every year as they seek the proverbial greener pastures in Europe.
In Morocco and Madagascar, the youth have refused to be bystanders and want a stake in determining the course of their country’s future, the same in Kenya Togo and, indeed, across Africa.
The youth bulge is a ticking time bomb, yet leaders are engrossed in extending their stay.
Yesterday, it was the late Robert Mugabe who was ousted, kicking and screaming at 93 as he could not rule for life.
Today, it is Biya, who is seeking a fresh mandate at 92.
Tomorrow, it could be someone else making history for the wrong reasons.
We need to put a stop to this madness. Africa must not be a laughing stock of the world.