Gabon’s Constitutional Court Confirms Oligui Nguema’s Election Victory

Gabon’s constitutional court confirmed Gen. Oligui Nguema’s election victory with 94.85% of votes. The election was the first since a military coup in 2023, and voter turnout was reported at 70.11%. Former Prime Minister Alain Bilie-By-Nze alleged the misuse of state resources during campaigning, a claim disputed by the government.

In a significant political development, Gabon’s constitutional court has confirmed that Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema emerged victorious in the nation’s pivotal presidential election held on April 12. Nguema, currently the country’s interim president following a coup earlier this year, garnered an overwhelming 58,074 votes, representing 94.85% of the total votes cast. This figure reflects nearly a 5% increase from the initial results reported by the Ministry of the Interior soon after the voting took place.

Among the candidates, the previous Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze managed to secure only 3% of the vote, coming in a distant second, while the other six candidates failed to surpass the 1% threshold. Despite Bilie-By-Nze’s accusations that Nguema leveraged state resources during his campaign, the government has dismissed these claims. Observation reports from local monitors indicate that election procedures were largely satisfactory across most polling stations monitored.

Voter turnout was reported at 70.11%, according to the Constitutional Court, with approximately 920,000 individuals, including over 28,000 residing abroad, registered to cast their ballots at 3,000 polling stations. Notably, the Interior Ministry initially announced a significantly higher turnout of 87.21% in its provisional report following the election.

This election marked Gabon’s first since the 2023 military coup that brought an end to the preceding political dynasty of over 50 years. For the approximately 2.3 million citizens of Gabon — about one-third of whom live in poverty despite the country’s substantial oil resources — this election held considerable importance. Having overthrown former President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Nguema now aims to solidify his power through a seven-year term, with his inauguration scheduled for May 3.

In summary, Gabon’s constitutional court has validated Oligui Nguema’s decisive victory in the recent presidential election amid claims of misconduct. This election, significant for both the nation’s political landscape and its citizens, has set the stage for Nguema’s upcoming presidency. With a high turnout, though disputed figures are at play, the overall response reflects a notable moment in Gabon’s political journey post-coup.

Original Source: www.newsday.com