They were the first presidential election since multi-party politics had been legalised, and were also the first to feature more than one candidate.

[2] The 1992 presidential elections were a crucial moment in Cameroon's post-independence history.

Although an assortment of opposition leaders—most importantly the anglophone Social Democratic Front leader John Fru Ndi—furiously opposed President Biya and sought to unseat him between 1990 and 1992, they were ultimately unable to do so.

The opposition's failure to present a single candidate offered a significant advantage to Biya, as the electoral law did not provide for a second round, and therefore the opposition candidates could not unite against Biya in the event he failed to win a majority.

Official results showed Biya winning the election with 40% of the vote, while Fru Ndi trailed with 36%.