Gabon’s military leader, Brice Oligui Nguema, secured a resounding victory in Sunday’s presidential election, with provisional results giving him an overwhelming 90.35 percent of the vote. Oligui, who assumed the role of transitional president after toppling the Bongo family’s decades-long rule in August 2023, had promised to restore democratic governance to the country.
Addressing jubilant supporters at his campaign headquarters, Oligui expressed his gratitude, declaring, “God does not abandon his people,” and praised the “maturity of the Gabonese people” for their participation in the historic election.
Interior Minister Hermann Immongault confirmed that Oligui had earned a seven-year mandate, with over 575,200 votes counted, representing 90.3 percent of the votes so far. His nearest rival, Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, garnered just three percent of the vote, while six other candidates failed to secure more than one percent.
Despite the incomplete vote count, official Gabonese media declared Oligui as the clear frontrunner early on. The election, which officially marked the end of military rule in the oil-rich country, saw a participation rate of 70.4 percent, according to the interior ministry.
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Oligui on his victory, as well as the conduct of the election, in a phone call to the new president’s office.
Though the election was relatively peaceful, with no major incidents reported by international observers, Oligui faces significant challenges in a country plagued by poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and a mountainous debt. Despite his promises of reform, critics accuse him of continuing the same practices of corruption that characterised the Bongo family’s reign, under which he had served as a military leader.
Oligui had sought to distance himself from his military background by discarding his general’s uniform during the campaign and positioning himself as a candidate for change. His dominant performance in the election contrasted with the lack of visibility of his seven challengers, including former prime minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, who was the main opposition figure.
Many voters, like 58-year-old Olivina Migombe, who told AFP she had not voted in years, expressed hope for change. “I believe in change this time,” she said, while on her way to church on Sunday.
The new president must address a range of pressing issues, including reforming the country’s debt-laden economy and tackling widespread poverty in a nation rich in natural resources.
For the first time in Gabonese electoral history, foreign and independent media were granted permission to film the ballot count. Oligui’s victory appears to mark a key moment in the country’s transition, although the road ahead remains fraught with challenges.
