In a landslide victory, Gabon's interim President and coup leader Brice Oligui Nguema won Saturday’s presidential vote – the first since the country’s 2023 military coup – according to provisional results.
Nguema emerged victorious in the first round, securing 90.35 per cent of the vote, Interior Minister Hermann Immongault told a Sunday news conference.
Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye congratulated Nguema on X, calling his victory "an eloquent sign of the confidence that the Gabonese people have in his leadership, after a transition conducted with brilliance and wisdom."
The results of the November16 poll differ slightly from those announced by the Interior Ministry.
New constitution abolished
The election, which included eight candidates, marked a key step in the Central African nation’s transition from military to civilian rule.
Nguema led a group of senior Gabonese army officers who deposed President Ali Bongo in August 2023. Following the coup, Nguema, a former commander of the Republican Guard, was sworn in as the country's transitional president, ending 56 years of the so-called Bongo dynasty.
Last November, a referendum was held to decide on a new constitution, presented as a crucial step toward holding a presidential election.
The new constitution abolished the post of prime minister, allowed Nguema to run for president, and provided for a seven-year presidential term with a maximum of two terms.
Transitional President General Brice Oligui Nguema has made no secret of his ambitions to remain in power.
