Gabon Coup Leader Oligui Nguema Wins Presidential Election with Over 90% of Vote
Over 90% Vote: Oligui Nguema Solidifies Power in Gabon Election
- General Brice Oligui Nguema has won Saturday's presidential election
- His victory solidifies his control nearly two years after he ousted President Ali Bongo
- Voter turnout exceeded 70%
General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the 2023 coup in Gabon that ended the Bongo family’s nearly 60-year rule, has won Saturday’s presidential election with over 90% of the vote, according to provisional results.
Critics argued that the new constitution and electoral code were designed to favor Oligui Nguema, and key opposition figures were excluded from the race.
His victory solidifies his control nearly two years after he ousted President Ali Bongo, whose family had governed Gabon since 1967.
Oligui Nguema, 50, ran against seven other candidates, including former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-by-Nze and two figures from the former ruling PDG party.
“Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema is elected [president] by absolute majority of votes cast, with 575,222 votes,” announced Interior Minister Hermann Immongault. Bilie-by-Nze, his main challenger, received just over 3% of the votes.
Voter turnout exceeded 70%, and authorities and some observers praised the election’s transparency and peacefulness.
However, there were reports of irregularities, including delayed polling station openings and voters unable to locate their polling places. Bilie-by-Nze expressed concern about unmarked ballot papers not being securely stored, raising fears of ballot box stuffing.
Oligui Nguema’s victory grants him a seven-year term and the mandate to address corruption and governance issues that plagued the Bongo era. The former Republican Guard commander is popular among a population seeking an end to dynastic rule, promising to reform Gabon.
