Gabon’s interim leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, who seized power in a 2023 coup that ended over five decades of Bongo family rule, has been elected president with more than 90% of the vote, according to provisional results announced by the interior ministry.
Oligui Nguema, 50, defeated seven challengers, including former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who garnered just over 3% in the April 12 vote.
The Interior Ministry reported a turnout of 87.2% among approximately 920,000 registered voters, including more than 28,000 overseas.
Critics had warned that a newly adopted constitution and electoral code favoured Oligui Nguema, while key opposition figures were barred from the race.
His victory cements his grip on power nearly two years after toppling President Ali Bongo, whose family had ruled Gabon since 1967.
Interior Minister Hermann Immongault said Oligui won 575,222 votes, securing a seven-year mandate.
His closest rivals included figures from the former ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), such as Stéphane Germain Iloko and Alain Simplice Boungouères.
The election, Gabon’s first since the 2023 coup, was widely seen as a turning point for the resource-rich but impoverished Central African nation.
Despite vast oil and timber reserves, around 35% of Gabon’s 2.3 million people live on less than $2 a day.
Observers from civil society groups said the election ran smoothly in most polling stations. The Gabonese Civil Society Organisations Observation Mission reported that 94.8% of polling stations operated under satisfactory conditions, with 98.6% rated transparent.
However, irregularities were reported. Some polling stations opened late, and voters were sometimes unable to locate their assigned locations.
Bilie-By-Nze raised concerns about unmarked ballots not being securely stored, warning of possible vote tampering. He also alleged Oligui misused state resources for his campaign, a claim the government denies.
Despite mixed reviews of the military’s performance since the coup, Oligui remains popular among citizens eager to move past dynastic rule.
The former Republican Guard commander has promised to fight corruption and rebuild institutions.
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