The Constitutional Court of São Tomé and Príncipe has officially confirmed the re-election of Carlos Vila Nova as President of the Republic. The incumbent secured victory in the first round of the presidential election with 55.88% of the vote, according to the final results published on Tuesday.
His main challenger, Member of Parliament Nito Viegas D'Abreu, backed by former Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, received 41.46% of the vote. The election, however, was marked by a high voter abstention rate of nearly 60%.
The National Electoral Commission stated that the electoral process was conducted in accordance with the rules and reported that no irregularities had been observed.
Carlos Vila Nova, 66, worked as a civil servant and later as a hotel executive before entering government, where he held ministerial positions between 2010 and 2018. First elected in 2021 with the support of the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party, he sparked controversy after dismissing Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada in January 2025. One year later, the Constitutional Court ruled that decision unconstitutional.
Now serving as president of the ADI, Patrice Trovoada hopes to return as Prime Minister following the legislative elections scheduled for late September. It was with this objective that he chose to support Nito Viegas D'Abreu against the incumbent president.
In São Tomé and Príncipe, the president's role is primarily limited to representing the state and promulgating laws, while executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister emerging from the legislative elections.
A former Portuguese colony that gained independence in 1975, the archipelago of nearly 200,000 inhabitants is now regarded as one of Africa's most stable parliamentary democracies, having overcome several attempted coups in its recent history.
