A viral video has stirred outrage across social media, showing Cameroonian voters allegedly receiving a bottle of juice and under $5 in exchange for casting their votes for 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who has ruled the country for over four decades.
Shared by user @Joe__Bassey, the footage captures both men and women standing in line to collect the items just before voting. Biya, widely criticized as a “French puppet,” has led Cameroon since 1982.
Reactions online reflect a mix of frustration, embarrassment, and anger:
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“How can African countries support each other to get rid of the likes of Tinubu, Biya, and Ruto?” — @ladi_etti
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“This is why they love democracy. So they can weaponize poverty to keep evil puppets in power.” — @RolandNGabriel
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“I hide such videos from my colleagues here in the US. It gives racists something to feed on.” — @nellycentz
Critics say the incident exposes how entrenched poverty continues to be used as a political tool to suppress genuine democratic change across parts of Africa.