Ahead of the official election results announcement, authorities in Cameroon have confirmed that four people were killed in clashes between security forces and supporters of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma.

Tchiroma, who challenged President Paul Biya's 43-year grip on power in the October 12th ballot, had called on his supporters to hold peaceful marches on the eve of the announcement, despite a national ban on public gatherings

The opposition figure claims to have won 54.8 percent of the vote, against the 31.3 percent he attributes to the 92-year-old incumbent, Paul Biya. However, many analysts anticipate that Biya will secure an eighth term in an electoral system that critics often describe as rigged.

In Douala, Cameroon’s largest city, the regional governor reported that on Sunday, demonstrators “attacked” police stations and a gendarmerie brigade in two districts.