A fresh debate has emerged over President Paul Biya's prolonged stay abroad after the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Grégoire Owona, defended the Head of State's absence by arguing that he is entitled to annual leave, while a lawyer has challenged the legal basis of that claim.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Grégoire Owona, who also serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), dismissed suggestions that the President's absence from the country has created a leadership vacuum.
His comments came in support of an earlier statement by the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, who maintained that government institutions continue to function normally despite President Biya's prolonged stay abroad.
Owona accused some media outlets, journalists and political commentators of spreading misleading information about the President's absence, insisting that state affairs are being conducted without interruption.
The Labour Minister argued that President Biya, like any worker, is entitled to annual leave. According to him, the President had duly informed the appropriate authorities before leaving the country and would equally notify them upon his return.
He also cited the continued signing of presidential decrees and the uninterrupted functioning of government institutions as proof that there is no constitutional or administrative vacuum in Cameroon.
President Paul Biya left Cameroon on June 7, 2026, for what the Presidency described as a "brief private stay" in Europe. His extended absence has fuelled widespread public debate, with opposition parties, civil society actors and some legal experts questioning its implications for governance.
However, Owona's reference to the Labour Code has drawn criticism from legal practitioners.
Reacting to the minister's statement, Cameroonian lawyer Akumbom Elvis McCarthy argued that the Labour Code does not apply to the President of the Republic because the office of the President is established and governed by the Constitution, not by an employment contract.
According to the lawyer, the Cameroon Labour Code regulates employment relationships between employers and workers, mainly in the private sector, and in some cases contract workers employed in public institutions.
He explained that civil servants and elected public officials are instead governed by the General Statute of the Public Service, the Constitution and other public laws.
"The President of the Republic is a constitutional office holder, not an employee under the Labour Code," McCarthy argued, adding that references to an entitlement of "80 days annual leave" under labour legislation are legally inaccurate and could mislead the public.
He maintained that while certain employees of public establishments operating under employment contracts may fall under the Labour Code, the country's Head of State does not.
The exchange has added a new legal dimension to the ongoing discussion surrounding President Biya's absence, which has now lasted more than seven weeks.
Despite growing public scrutiny, government officials have consistently maintained that there is no constitutional crisis and that the President continues to exercise his duties while abroad.
The Presidency has also repeatedly stated that President Biya remains in good health, although it has not announced when he is expected to return to Cameroon.
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