Guinea’s junta leader, Mamady Doumbouya, has been elected president after securing an overwhelming majority of votes, according to initial results released on Tuesday by the country’s election commission.
Doumbouya, 41, who seized power in a military coup in September 2021 and had initially pledged not to run for office, won 86.72 per cent of the votes cast in the first round of the presidential election. The figure is well above the threshold required to avoid a runoff, the General Directorate of Elections (DGE) said.
The election, held over the weekend, featured eight other candidates, though key opposition figures were barred from contesting and had called for a boycott of the polls.
DGE head, Djenabou Toure, announced that voter turnout stood at 80.95 per cent.
Partial official results showed Doumbouya recording landslide victories across several districts of the capital, Conakry, often polling above 80 per cent. He also dominated results in other parts of the country, including Coyah near Conakry, as well as Boffa and Fria in the west, Gaoual in the northwest, Koundara and Labe in the north, and Nzerekore in the southeast.
However, the results were immediately disputed by opposition groups and civil society organisations. The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution claimed that a majority of Guineans boycotted what it described as an “electoral charade.”
Some rival candidates also alleged irregularities. Abdoulaye Yero Balde accused electoral officials of serious violations, including denying his representatives access to vote-counting centres and alleged ballot stuffing in some areas. Another candidate, Faya Millimono, described the process as “electoral banditry,” alleging undue influence on voters.
Doumbouya’s candidacy followed the approval of a new constitution in a September 2025 referendum, which allowed members of the ruling junta to contest elections. The constitution also extended presidential terms from five to seven years, renewable once.
Since taking power, Doumbouya has faced criticism over a crackdown on civil liberties, including the banning of protests and the arrest, prosecution, or exile of opposition figures.
Several prominent opposition leaders were excluded from the election under the new constitutional provisions. Former prime minister and opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo was barred because he resides in exile, while ex-president Alpha Conde and former prime minister Sidya Toure were disqualified for exceeding the age limit of 80.
Despite the controversy, the junta leader’s victory now formally cements his hold on power, marking a new chapter in Guinea’s political transition.
