Gabon’s constitutional court confirms Oligui Nguema’s victory in presidential election

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gabon’s constitutional court confirmed Friday that Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Gabon’s interim president who staged a 2023 coup, won the Central African nation’s April 12 presidential election.

Oligui Nguema won the election with 58,074 votes, which accounts for 94.85% of votes cast, according to the final results announced by the Constitutional Court.

Oligui Nguema’s tally increased by almost 5% compared to the provisional results announced the day after the April 12 vote by the Ministry of the Interior.

He defeated seven other candidates, including immediate past Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who came in a distant second with 3% of votes cast. None of the other six candidates crossed the 1% mark.

Bilie-By-Nze recently told The Associated Press that Oligui Nguema took advantage of state resources to support his campaign. The government denies this.

Local observers deemed the conduct of the election satisfactory in nearly all the polling stations monitored.

The Constitutional Court announced a turnout of 70,11 % in the election in which some 920,000 voters, including over 28,000 overseas, were registered to participate across more than 3,000 polling stations.

The Interior Ministry had previously announced a higher turnout of 87.21% in its provisional results announced the day after the vote.

It was Gabon’s first election since the 2023 military coup that ended a political dynasty that lasted over 50 years. It was seen as a crucial election for the central African nation’s 2.3 million people, a third of whom live in poverty despite its vast oil wealth.

Oligui Nguema, the former head of the country’s Republican Guard, toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba nearly two years ago. He hopes to consolidate his grip on power for a seven-year term in office and is set to be inaugurated on May 3.