Oligui Nguema Secures Presidential Victory in Gabon: A New Chapter Post-Coup

Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who led a 2023 coup in Gabon, has been elected president with 90.35% of votes. The election, the first since the coup, saw high voter turnout and was crucial for the nation. Allegations of campaign resource misuse surfaced, but local observers deemed the election largely satisfactory.

Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Gabon's interim leader and orchestrator of the 2023 coup, has been elected president. Provisional results from the interior ministry show him clinching a landslide victory with 90.35% of votes, outpacing seven contenders, including ex-Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who garnered a mere 3%.

The election, marking Gabon's first since the coup that toppled a 50-year political dynasty, registered an 87.21% voter turnout. Over 920,000 registered voters, including 28,000 from overseas, took part across 3,000 polling stations. Despite vast oil resources, the election comes as a significant moment for Gabon's 2.3 million citizens, many of whom live in poverty.

While Bilie-By-Nze accused Oligui Nguema of exploiting state resources for his campaign, a charge the government denies, election observers reported satisfactory conduct in most polling stations. As local civil society organizations monitored, 94.8% of stations operated effectively. Nguema's representation in polling stations outweighed Bilie-By-Nze's significantly.

(With inputs from agencies.)