Brice Oligui Nguema Wins Gabon Presidential Election with 90.35%

Brice Oligui Nguema has been elected president of Gabon with 90.35% of the vote in the country's first presidential election since the 2023 coup that ended a 56-year political dynasty led by the Bongo family. The election saw a voter turnout of 70.4%, a significant improvement from previous elections, and was deemed satisfactory by local observers in the majority of polling stations. Nguema's main opponent, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, garnered only 3.02% of the votes, amid allegations that Nguema used state resources to support his campaign, which the government denies. Nguema, who previously served as the interim president following the coup, will serve a seven-year term under a newly approved constitution, with the possibility of one renewal. Despite promises of breaking from the past, concerns remain about Nguema's ties to the former regime. The election results are seen as a crucial step towards restoring Gabon’s democratic credibility and addressing the nation's economic challenges, where a third of the population lives in poverty despite its oil wealth.