Brice Oligui Nguema has been declared the winner of Gabon’s presidential election, securing 90.35% of the vote, the country’s interior minister announced on Sunday. The result follows a military coup led by Nguema in August 2023 that brought an end to over five decades of Bongo family rule.
Saturday’s vote marked the first presidential election since the coup, with Nguema emerging as the clear frontrunner among eight candidates. His closest challenger, former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, received just 3.02% of the vote, according to provisional figures.
Nguema, who campaigned under the slogan “We Build Together,” presented himself as a reformist committed to breaking from past corruption. He promised to move Gabon’s economy away from its heavy dependence on oil by investing in agriculture, tourism, and industry. Around one-third of the country’s 2.5 million citizens currently live in poverty despite Gabon’s oil wealth.
Voter turnout reached 70.40%, significantly higher than the 56.65% recorded during the disputed August 2023 election, which ended in a coup hours after Ali Bongo was announced the winner for a third term. That vote was widely contested by the opposition and viewed as lacking credibility.
Nguema’s victory signals the start of a seven-year term under a new constitution approved in November, which allows one re-election. Though he has sought to distance himself from the former regime, Nguema’s past links to the Bongo dynasty remain — he previously served as an aide-de-camp to Omar Bongo, who ruled from 1967 until his death in 2009.
International observers and investors are closely watching developments in Gabon, which holds $3 billion in international bonds. Analysts say a democratically elected government with a clear mandate may help restore investor confidence and unlock opportunities for fiscal reforms.
“Prolonged political uncertainty and fears of extended military rule have constrained Gabon’s economic growth,” said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. “A government with legitimacy will be in a stronger position to engage global lenders and tackle debt.”
Gabon’s economy posted 2.9% growth in 2024, up from 2.4% in 2023, driven by infrastructure spending and higher output in oil, manganese, and timber, according to the World Bank.
