Gabon’s junta leader, Brice Oligui Nguema, has secured a commanding victory in the country’s presidential election, marking a pivotal shift from more than five decades of Bongo family rule. The 50-year-old, who seized power from President Ali Bongo in a 2023 coup, won 90.35% of votes cast, according to provisional results released over the weekend.
Nguema now faces the task of proving his commitment to change, with promises to diversify Gabon’s oil-dependent economy and tackle endemic corruption. His overwhelming win gives him a seven-year mandate to chart a new path — one he says will require hard work and national unity.
“My dear compatriots, as I told you during the campaign and I repeat, there is no happiness without effort,” Nguema said in his victory speech. “Tomorrow is a workday. Our country is under construction.”
His popularity stems largely from his swift post-coup actions, including summoning agency heads to account for missing funds and launching a broad anti-corruption campaign that led to several high-profile arrests.
Yet, despite the rhetoric of renewal, Nguema’s ties to the previous administration remain a concern for critics. He is a distant cousin of Ali Bongo, served as a top aide to long-time ruler Omar Bongo, and led the Republican Guard under Ali. Analysts say his ability — and willingness — to break from the past remains unproven.
“He was a key player in the Bongo system,” said Rogers Orock, a Gabon expert at Lafayette College in the U.S. “The question is whether this new order represents real transformation or simply old authoritarianism in a new form.”
The recent vote, in contrast to previous elections marred by violence and accusations of fraud, unfolded peacefully. “This time, everything went very smoothly, without any problems,” said Worah Jean Yves, a university student in Libreville.
Nguema’s closest rival, former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, received just over 3% of the vote. While he conceded defeat, he questioned the credibility of such a one-sided outcome.
Adding to Nguema’s complex profile is scrutiny of his personal finances. A 2020 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed he purchased three properties in Maryland, USA, worth over $1 million in cash. Nguema declined to comment, citing his right to privacy.
Despite the controversies, he has pledged to maintain Gabon’s longstanding ties with France — a stance that contrasts with other recent juntas in West and Central Africa, which have distanced themselves from their former colonial power.
Announcing his candidacy last month, Nguema said he dreamed “of a Gabon that rises from the ashes” and called on citizens to join him in rebuilding the nation.
“I am a builder,” he said. “And I need your courage and strength to build this nation.”
