LIBREVILLE, Gabon – Gen Brice Oligui Nguema, the military leader who orchestrated Gabon‘s 2023 coup, has won Saturday, April 12, 2025’s presidential election with more than 90% of the vote, according to provisional results.
The victory consolidates his power nearly two years after he led the coup that ousted President Ali Bongo, whose family had ruled Gabon for nearly six decades.
The election, which saw Oligui Nguema face off against seven other candidates, was largely seen as a political formality.
Critics had argued that changes to the constitution and electoral code ahead of the vote were designed to give Oligui Nguema a comfortable path to the presidency, with opposition figures who might have posed serious challenges excluded from the race.
Oligui Nguema, 50, declared victory with 575,222 votes, as announced by Interior Minister Hermann Immongault.
His main challenger, former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-by-Nze, who served under the Bongo regime, secured just over 3% of the vote.
The turnout was high, with more than seven out of 10 registered voters participating in the election, which was hailed by authorities and some observers as peaceful and transparent.
However, there were complaints about irregularities at certain polling stations, including delays and voter registration issues.
Bilie-by-Nze also raised concerns over unmarked ballot papers being inadequately secured, raising fears of potential vote tampering.
Oligui Nguema’s election victory grants him a seven-year mandate, with significant resources to address the corruption and poor governance that plagued the Bongo regime.
The former commander of the elite Republican Guard has enjoyed popular support, especially among a population eager to break from the dynastic rule that had long dominated the country.
Despite Gabon’s wealth in oil and timber, the country of just 2.5 million people still faces stark economic disparities, with about 35% of the population living below the poverty line of $2 a day.
Oligui Nguema’s presidency marks a pivotal moment in Gabon’s political trajectory, as the country seeks to move away from decades of Bongo family rule and towards a new era of governance, though questions remain about the future of democracy in the Central African nation.
