General Who Seized Power in Gabon, Brice Oligui Nguema, Wins Presidency with 90% of Votes; Former Coup President Secures Just 3%

General Who Seized Power in Gabon, Brice Oligui Nguema, Wins Presidency with 90% of Votes; Former Coup President Secures Just 3%

Libreville, April 14 (Reuters):
Brice Oligui Nguema, the military chief who seized power in Gabon in August last year, has officially been elected president with 90.35% of the vote in Saturday’s presidential election, according to the country’s interior minister.

This victory formally solidifies Nguema’s position as president after he ended the decades-long rule of the Bongo family in a 2023 coup. Gabon, a country with a population of around 2.5 million, is rich in oil resources.

Nguema’s main rival, Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who served as Prime Minister under ousted President Ali Bongo, received only 3.02% of the vote.

Running under the campaign slogan “Let’s Build Development Together,” Nguema promised to end the country’s history of corruption and bring meaningful change. He also pledged to diversify Gabon’s oil-dependent economy into agriculture, industry, and tourism. Notably, one-third of Gabon’s population still lives below the poverty line.

The Ministry of Interior reported that voter turnout was 70.40%, significantly higher than the 56.65% turnout in the controversial 2023 election.

Analysts say this election marks a key step toward Gabon’s international legitimacy and economic stabilization.
Mucahid Durmaz, Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, noted,

“A democratically elected government will be better positioned to engage with multilateral partners and take vital steps such as economic reform and debt restructuring.”

According to World Bank data, Gabon’s economic growth in 2024 rose to 2.9%, up from 2.4% the previous year, driven largely by increased production in infrastructure, mining, oil, and timber sectors.

Under the new constitution, Nguema has been elected for a seven-year term, with the option to run for re-election once.

While Nguema has promised a break from the Bongo era, he was once closely associated with the former regime, having served as an aide to late President Omar Bongo (Ali Bongo’s father), who ruled the country for over 40 years until his death in 2009.