Cameroon’s opposition presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has fled to The Gambia following the disputed re-election of President Paul Biya, citing threats to his safety.

The Gambian government confirmed it is hosting Tchiroma “temporarily on humanitarian grounds” while engaging regional mediators, including Nigeria, to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Official results from the October poll gave Biya, 92, 53.7% of the vote against Tchiroma’s 35.2%, but the opposition leader rejected the outcome as “electoral theft and a constitutional coup.” He has urged nationwide protests, which have already left at least five people dead, though civil society groups report higher casualties.

Cameroon’s authorities accuse Tchiroma of inciting insurrection and have signaled plans to prosecute him. A former communications minister, he broke with Biya to form the Cameroon National Salvation Front and has declared himself the rightful winner, vowing to continue resistance from exile.

Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 after scrapping presidential term limits in 2008. The election was marred by low turnout, internet restrictions, and the exclusion of several opposition candidates.

Regional bodies ECOWAS and the African Union have urged calm but stopped short of challenging the official results.