Gabon Votes as Coup Leader Brice Oligui Nguema Seeks Full Presidential Mandate

Libreville, Gabon — Gabonese voters headed to the polls on Saturday in a closely watched presidential election as Brice Oligui Nguema, the military leader who ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a 2023 coup, seeks to consolidate power with a full mandate from the electorate.

Nguema, 50, who has served as transitional president since the military takeover, is widely expected to win the election, which many analysts anticipate will be a one-sided affair. The vote marks a pivotal moment for the oil-rich Central African nation, which is still navigating the aftermath of decades of dynastic rule by the Bongo family.

In August 2023, shortly after Ali Bongo was controversially declared the winner of a third term in an election the opposition denounced as fraudulent, Nguema led a bloodless coup that brought an end to over 55 years of Bongo family dominance. Now, he presents himself as a reformer aiming to steer Gabon toward a more transparent and accountable future.

Casting his vote in central Libreville, Nguema described the process as transparent and hailed the voter turnout as a sign that “Gabonese have regained confidence in the election.” Polls closed at 6 p.m. local time, with counting beginning shortly thereafter. Official results are expected as early as Sunday. The winner will secure a renewable seven-year term.

Voter enthusiasm was visible at polling stations across the capital, with citizens queuing from early morning. Among them was 28-year-old nurse Lionel Ekambou, who voiced strong support for Nguema. “His social project meets my expectations, and I am convinced it will contribute to building a better future,” he said.

Since assuming power, Nguema has promoted a populist agenda under the slogan “We Build Together,” pledging to diversify Gabon’s oil-dependent economy by investing in agriculture, tourism, and industry. His campaign has focused heavily on economic renewal and a crackdown on corruption.

However, critics remain skeptical of Nguema’s break from the past. Despite his reformist rhetoric, his ties to the previous regime have raised questions about his intentions. A former aide-de-camp to longtime ruler Omar Bongo, Nguema has appointed several figures from the Bongo era to key positions within his transitional government.

“He sold us a dream,” said 34-year-old voter Libaski Moussavou, expressing concern about the presence of political holdovers from the previous regime. “He surrounds himself with the same people the Gabonese people once rejected.”

The election will be a critical test of whether Nguema can translate his promises of change into legitimacy at the ballot box. Observers across the region are closely monitoring the outcome, as Gabon charts a new course following a half-century of dynastic rule.