The Constitutional Court of Gabon confirmed on Friday the victory of Brice Oligui Nguema in the April 12 presidential election, according to official results. Nguema is set to be inaugurated on May 3, marking the start of his seven-year term.
Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema achieved a landslide victory over seven other candidates in the presidential election held in Gabon. According to the official results declared by the competent court, he secured 58,074 votes, representing 94.85% of the total votes cast. This decisive result confirms the breadth of his popular support at a pivotal moment for the country's future.
His rise to the head of state stems from a major event in Gabon's recent political history. In August 2023, while serving as commander of the Republican Guard, Nguema led a military coup that ended 56 years of rule by the Bongo family. Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had just been declared the winner of a disputed election, was deposed a few days after the announcement of the results. This event sparked both hopes for democratic renewal and questions about the next steps in the transitional process.
Since taking power, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has made numerous commitments to lift the country out of the economic and political stagnation in which it was mired. Aware that political stability must be accompanied by sustainable economic revival, he unveiled an ambitious program of reforms. Among his stated priorities are boosting national agriculture, developing local industry, and energizing the tourism sector, which has long been underexploited despite Gabon's natural assets.
A major focus of his policy is economic diversification. Traditionally reliant on its oil resources, Gabon is now seeking to broaden its productive base. The new president has repeatedly emphasized his intention to modernize infrastructure, encourage private investment, and support innovation in sectors such as information technology, the green economy, and cultural industries.
On the institutional front, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has pledged to strengthen the rule of law and restore citizens' trust in their institutions. He has promised more transparent governance and a fight against corruption—a scourge that has long hindered the country's development. A process of constitutional revision has also been initiated, with the stated aim of making electoral mechanisms more credible and inclusive in the future.
Nevertheless, the path ahead is fraught with challenges. Consolidating Nguema's authority will depend on his government's ability to deliver tangible results in the short and medium term. While the population has largely welcomed the change in regime, it now expects real improvements in daily life, particularly in employment, access to public services, and purchasing power.
In this context, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema's sweeping electoral victory marks a decisive step in the political reshaping of Gabon. It grants the new president strong legitimacy to pursue his project of national renewal, but it also obliges him to swiftly transform hopes into concrete achievements, to firmly set the country on the path of progress and stability.
