Vladimir Putin is going to assume the presidency once again in Russia. In the initial trends of the entire voting held on Sunday, Putin got about 88 percent votes. A very controlled environment was seen in this election in Russia, where speaking against Ukraine war and Putin was not allowed. Putin is going to hold this post for the fifth time, no one has been able to defeat him in the last 25 years. But many leaders in the world have been in power longer than Putin. Many of these leaders have been accused of suppressing human rights and some of them are even remembered as dictators by their critics.
Leaders who have been in power for more than a quarter century include Tajikistan's Emomali Rakhmon, Cameroon's Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Below we are telling you about some such leaders, whose tenure has lasted for a long time.
Teodoro Obiang took power in a coup in the West African state of Equatorial Guinea in 1979, just a decade before the fall of the Soviet Union. During his 45-year tenure, Equatorial Guinea came to be known as the North Korea of South Africa.
Paul Biya: 42 years
Cameroon's 90-year-old Biya is the world's oldest elected leader. President Paul Biya has ruled Cameroon with an iron fist since November 1982. Paul is called 'The Sphinx' for his detective nature. Paul won power for the seventh time amid allegations of many irregularities in the elections held in the country in 2018.
Republic of Congo: 39 years
80-year-old Denis Sassou Nguesso of Republic of Congo has been holding this chair for 39 years. He was president from 1979 to 1992, then returned after the civil war in 1997 and has remained in power ever since.
Yoweri Museveni: 37 years
79-year-old Yoweri Museveni has been the President of Uganda for 37 years. Has been re-elected for the sixth time in the elections held in Uganda in 2021.
Owner Emomali Rahmon: 31 years
After the end of the USSR, 72-year-old owner Emomali took over the chair of Tajikistan. They have maintained their stronghold in Tajikistan for 31 years.