GABONESE citizens cast their ballots on Saturday in a pivotal presidential election— the country’s first since the military ousted longtime ruler Ali Bongo in August 2023. Widely seen as the frontrunner, transitional president and junta leader Brice Oligui Nguema is expected to secure a decisive victory, potentially becoming Gabon’s first elected leader following last year’s military takeover.
According to AFP, General Oligui, dressed in civilian attire, arrived at a school in central Libreville with First Lady Zita to vote. Cameras clicked as he stated confidently, ‘May the best man win.’
High turnout under sunny skies
Voters formed long queues in Libreville under clear skies, a striking contrast to the stormy night before. Among them was 30-year-old Aurele Ossantanga Mouila, voting for the first time after his night shift at a casino. ‘I didn’t trust the old regime,’ he said.
Retiree Eugenie Tchitembo Onanga, 68, expressed strong support for Oligui, proclaiming, ‘Everyone will vote for him, I assure you. It’s God’s choice.’
Roughly 920,000 voters were eligible to participate at over 3,000 polling stations, including nearly 100 abroad. Polls opened at 7:00 a.m. and were scheduled to close by 6:00 p.m., with final results expected on Monday.
A nation rich in oil but riddled with poverty
Despite its abundant oil and mineral wealth, Gabon continues to struggle with deep poverty and underdevelopment. One-third of its 2.3 million citizens live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
The country also suffers from high youth unemployment—over 60 percent in rural areas—and dilapidated infrastructure, with only 2,000 of 10,000 kilometres of roads deemed usable. Power and water shortages are routine, and Gabon’s national debt has surged to 73.3 percent of GDP, with forecasts suggesting it could reach 80 percent this year.
Oligui campaigns as ‘the special candidate’
Oligui, who seized power on August 30, 2023, has been campaigning vigorously for a seven-year term. At a closing rally in Libreville, he declared: ‘The builder is here, the special candidate, the one you called.’
His face is plastered across the capital, often alongside the slogan ‘C’BON’, a wordplay on the French phrase for ‘It’s good’ and his initials. In contrast, his opponents have had limited campaign visibility, with critics accusing the transitional regime of monopolising media and public space.
His main challenger, former prime minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, has branded himself as the candidate for ‘complete rupture’, calling out Oligui’s close ties to the ousted Bongo regime.
‘This is not a break from the past,’ Bilie By Nze argued. ‘It’s the continuation of the same system.’
Oligui previously served as an aide-de-camp to former president Omar Bongo and later headed the Republican Guard under Ali Bongo, fuelling scepticism over his promises of reform.
Election a test of democratic will
Analyst Neyer Kenga told AFP the vote is ultimately about restoring constitutional order and democratic legitimacy. ‘All Gabonese are now firmly in favour of a democratic game that is played within the rules,’ she said.
The interior ministry has pledged a transparent and inclusive election, mindful of past unrest. Violent protests followed disputed results in 2009 and again in 2016. The August 2023 coup, which interrupted Ali Bongo’s contested third term, only deepened concerns over democratic backsliding.
Kenga cautioned: ‘In Gabon, the people’s response at the ballot box is never known in advance.’
Still, for many, this election is about more than choosing a president—it’s a test of whether Gabon can move beyond its history of dynastic rule, corruption, and elite dominance to a future shaped by civilian voices and transparent governance.
