Gabon’s military leader Brice Oligui Nguema victorious in presidential election.

Gabon’s military leader, Brice Oligui Nguema, has achieved a remarkable victory in the country’s recent presidential election, garnering approximately 90 percent of the vote according to provisional results reported by the Interior Ministry. This outcome follows Nguema’s assumption of power through a military coup in 2023, marking a significant shift in Gabonese politics.

His only serious contender, Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, received around three percent of the total votes cast in the election held on Saturday. Having played a pivotal role in dismantling the long-standing Bongo dynasty, which ruled Gabon for over five decades, Nguema was anticipated to triumph in this eight-candidate electoral race.

On election day, Bilie-By-Nze raised concerns regarding potential complications in the vote counting process. However, Nguema maintained that the electoral proceedings were executed with transparency and integrity.

Analysts suggest that the election outcome was predictable, and attention has now turned to the considerable challenges awaiting Nguema’s administration. The new president inherits a nation that has grappled with the consequences of five decades of centralized governance characterized by the Bongo family’s patronage network. This political framework concentrated power among a select few while the majority of the populace saw little benefit from the country’s wealth.

Gabon, a nation of around 2.2 million people located on the Atlantic coast of West-Central Africa, is endowed with abundant reserves of oil, gold, and manganese, and is part of the vital Congo Basin rainforest ecosystem. Despite these natural resources, the World Bank’s 2024 findings indicate that nearly 40 percent of the youth population is unemployed. This situation underscores the people’s urgent focus on fundamental issues such as restoring electricity supply, tackling food shortages, creating employment opportunities, and ensuring that the nation’s wealth benefits ordinary citizens.

As Nguema, previously the head of the Republican Guard under former President Ali Bongo, positions himself as a reformist leader, he has adopted a campaign slogan of “We Build Together.” His promises include tackling corruption, diversifying Gabon’s oil-dependent economy, and investing in agriculture, tourism, and industrial sectors. Despite these hopeful pledges, around one-third of Gabon’s population continues to live below the poverty line, raising questions about the genuineness of proposed reforms.

Voter turnout in this election reached a significant 70.4 percent, an increase from the 56.65 percent recorded in the contested August 2023 election, which led to Nguema’s military coup. While Nguema now operates under a seven-year mandate that can be renewed once, skepticism lingers regarding the likelihood of meaningful changes. Critics point out that the political landscape retains deep connections to the Bongo era, as both Nguema and his main electoral rival were part of the former regime.

International observers are closely monitoring Gabon’s path forward. With billion in international debt, the nation is under pressure to demonstrate its commitment to building democratic legitimacy. The World Bank has reported modest economic growth, with the economy expanding by 2.9 percent in 2024, buoyed by infrastructure projects and increased output in oil, timber, and manganese.

This pivotal moment in Gabon raises both hopes for reform and caution regarding the potential continuity of established political structures.

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