Brice Oligui Nguema Declared Winner of Gabon’s Presidential Election

Brice Oligui Nguema, the military leader of Gabon, won the presidential election with approximately 80 percent of the vote, as announced in provisional results. His closest rival achieved only about 3 percent, while other candidates fared poorly. Nguema’s victory follows his role in ending the lengthy Bongo family regime and has raised concerns about electoral integrity, which he has dismissed as transparent.

In a significant political development, Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of Gabon’s military, has been declared the winner of the presidential election. According to provisional results announced following the votes cast, he obtained nearly 80 percent of the total votes counted.

The announcement was made based on 90.35 percent of the ballots, showing his closest competitor, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, garnered approximately 3 percent of the votes, while the remaining six candidates received less than 1 percent each, as reported by the Interior Ministry.

Nguema’s victory follows his leadership role in the military coup of 2023, which ended over five decades of the Bongo family’s authoritarian rule. Consequently, his win was anticipated by many observers prior to the election.

On the day of the election, Bilie-By-Nze expressed concerns regarding potential issues during the vote counting process. However, Nguema asserted that the electoral process was conducted in a “transparent” manner, ensuring credibility in the results. Further details are forthcoming.

Brice Oligui Nguema’s triumph in the presidential election marks a pivotal moment for Gabon, transitioning from military rule following a coup to potential democratic governance. With nearly 80 percent of the votes, his leadership ends a prolonged period of dynastic control. Nguema’s assurances regarding electoral transparency aim to establish trust in the new political landscape after the abrupt changes in governance.

Original Source: www.aljazeera.com