BY OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
Gabon has elected its first president, marking an end to military coup, which removed longtime president Ali Bongo
since 2023. The election saw its interim President, Brice Oligui Nguema, emerging winner, securing an impressive 90.35% of the votes.
Brice Oligui Nguema, 50, achieved a remarkable victory, surpassed seven other contenders, including the former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who garnered only 3% of the votes, as reported by Interior Minister Hermann Immongault during the announcement of provisional results.
The Interior Ministry reported a voter turnout of 87.21% in this election, with approximately 920,000 registered voters, including over 28,000 from abroad, participating at more than 3,000 polling stations.
Geneviève DEWUNO EDOU, a resident of Libreville, stated, “As a Gabonese citizen, I hope President Oligui Nguema will consider the people’s needs, particularly in improving the living conditions for those in the majority who reside in underprivileged neighborhoods.”
This is Gabon’s first since the military coup in 2023, which ended a political dynasty that had lasted over five decades.
It was viewed as a major turnaround for the African nation of 2.3 million, where a third of the population lives in poverty despite the country’s significant oil resources.
Rachid Olsen Boueni, a student, remarked, “What we seek is a more comprehensive social policy. We do not want to see our elderly left to fend for themselves on the streets.”
Following the coup, Nguema garnered support from the Gabonese people by advocating for change.
He pledged to restore civilian governance through free and fair elections, contrasting sharply with what many perceived as a dictatorship under the Bongo family.
