Gabon Holds Crucial Election Post-Coups

Gabonese voters headed to the polls on Saturday in a landmark presidential election, the first since a 2023 military coup ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo family.

Interim President General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who led the coup that toppled Ali Bongo Ondimba, is the clear frontrunner, campaigning on promises to combat corruption and break from the past. Nearly 920,000 registered voters, including over 28,000 abroad, were eligible to participate across more than 3,000 polling stations.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and closed at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT), with preliminary results expected by Sunday. The election is a critical test for Gabon’s 2.3 million people, nearly a third of whom live in poverty despite the country’s oil and mineral wealth.

A Race Between Continuity and Change

Nguema, 50, has campaigned aggressively under the slogan "We Build Together," positioning himself as a reformer dismantling the old regime. His main challenger, former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, served under Bongo and has framed himself as the candidate for a "complete rupture." However, analysts say his ties to the previous government weaken his criticism of Nguema.

A new constitution approved in November paved the way for Nguema’s candidacy, and his visibility during the campaign has bolstered his lead in opinion polls. At his final rally in Libreville, he confidently predicted a "historic victory."

Economic Challenges Loom Large

Despite Gabon’s economic growth—2.9% in 2024, up from 2.4% the previous year—many voters remain frustrated by persistent power cuts, unemployment, and heavy public debt.

The election marks a turning point for Gabon, once seen as a bastion of stability in a region that has seen eight coups since 2020. The outcome will determine whether the country moves toward democratic reform or remains under military-influenced leadership.

Final results are expected by Monday.