Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has secured re-election for an eighth term, winning 53.66% of the vote, according to official results released on Monday. The announcement raises the likelihood of renewed tensions with supporters of the main opposition candidate, who continues to insist that he, not Biya, won the election.

Following the Constitutional Council’s declaration, opposition contender Issa Tchiroma Bakary posted on Facebook that gunfire was being directed at civilians gathered near his residence in the northern city of Garoua.

Reporters were unable to independently confirm his claims, and the government has yet to respond to his statement.

In the week leading up to the final results, opposition demonstrations had already erupted into clashes with security forces after partial counts published by local media indicated Biya was leading in the October 12 vote. Authorities have firmly denied opposition accusations of electoral misconduct.

Biya, 92, first assumed the presidency in 1982 and has since maintained an unyielding hold on power. He eliminated presidential term limits in 2008 and has repeatedly secured reelection by wide margins.

Often described as the world’s longest-serving ruler, Biya’s new seven-year mandate could see him remain in office until nearly 100 years old.

“Hereby declared elected President of the Republic, having obtained the majority of the votes cast, the candidate, Biya, Paul,” Clement Atangana, President of the Constitutional Council.

Tchiroma, a former government spokesperson and employment minister in his late seventies, broke away from Biya’s camp earlier this year. His campaign attracted large crowds and gained backing from a coalition of opposition parties and civic organizations. Just last week, he declared that he had won the election and vowed “not to accept any other result.”