Gabon’s Nguema Wins Presidency With Overwhelming 90.35% Vote

• Apr 14, 2025

Gabon’s transitional leader General Brice Oligui Nguema has been officially elected president after winning 90.35% of the vote.

Nguema’s overwhelming victory follows his rise to power in August 2023 when he led a military coup that ousted longtime president Ali Bongo Ondimba. The election now formalizes his leadership, though questions remain about the future direction of the country under his rule.

Despite promising a new chapter for Gabon, Nguema has close connections to the previous government. He once served as aide-de-camp to Omar Bongo, the late father of Ali Bongo, who ruled the country for over four decades until his death in 2009. This tie to the powerful Bongo family has raised concerns about how much real change Nguema’s leadership will bring.

Nguema has publicly committed to breaking away from the political system that many believe allowed a small elite to control Gabon’s oil wealth, leaving much of the population in poverty. During the Bongo era, widespread complaints emerged that state resources were unfairly distributed, fueling public frustration and distrust in government institutions.

Since taking power, Nguema has presented himself as a reformer, promising to restore democratic governance and ensure more transparent management of public resources. However, his deep roots in the old regime have made some observers skeptical about whether he can deliver on those promises.

The recent election was closely watched both within Gabon and internationally, as it was seen as a test of whether the military-led government was moving toward a more democratic system. The overwhelming vote share Nguema received suggests strong support or limited political competition, which is common in post-coup environments.

As president, Nguema now faces the task of convincing Gabonese citizens and the international community that his leadership will truly represent a departure from the past. His ability to address corruption, manage the country’s oil wealth fairly, and open up political space for opposition voices will likely define the success of his presidency.