Cameroon’s National Assembly on Tuesday elected Théodore Datouo as speaker, marking the first leadership change in the chamber in more than three decades.
Datouo, a member of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), secured 133 votes out of 147 during a plenary session held March 17. He was the sole candidate endorsed by the party’s Central Committee.
The 65-year-old lawmaker represents the Upper Plateau constituency in the West Region and succeeds Cavaye Yéguié Djibril, who had led the assembly since 1992.
The vote formalizes a transition at the top of one of Cameroon’s central legislative institutions, which plays a role in shaping laws, overseeing government action and approving national budgets.
Datouo has built his profile in both business and politics. Trained in economics at the University of Yaoundé, he has led a company involved in importing construction materials since the late 1980s.
He previously served as a vice president of the National Assembly and held party leadership responsibilities in his home region.
His election consolidates the ruling party’s control of key state institutions following national elections held last year, in which President Paul Biya, 92, secured an eighth term, according to official results.
Djibril, a senior figure in the ruling party, had been among the longest-serving parliamentary speakers on the continent. His tenure spanned multiple electoral cycles and political reforms.
Datouo’s election places a new figure at the head of the legislative body at a time when Cameroon continues to manage economic pressures, institutional reforms and regional security challenges.
