LIBREVILLE, (Reuters)Vote counting began shortly after 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Saturday, April 12, 2025, as polling stations closed across Gabon, although some remained open to accommodate voters still in line. The official results are expected as early as Sunday, April 13, 2025, with the winner set to assume a seven-year term, renewable once.
This election marks Gabon’s first since the military ousted President Ali Bongo in a coup following the disputed 2023 vote, in which Bongo was declared the winner of a third term amid widespread allegations of fraud.
On Saturday, transitional leader General Brice Oligui Nguema cast his vote at a school in central Libreville. He hailed the election as transparent, pointing to the long lines as a sign that “Gabonese have regained confidence in the election process.”
Among those casting their votes was 28-year-old nurse Lionel Ekambou, who voiced support for Nguema. “His social project meets my expectations and, I am convinced, will contribute to building a better future,” he said.
Nguema, who has served as interim leader since the coup, campaigned energetically across the country under the slogan “We Build Together.” He pledged to diversify Gabon’s oil-dependent economy by boosting agriculture, industry, and tourism. Despite the country’s wealth in natural resources, around one-third of its 2.5 million citizens live in poverty.
However, critics question whether Nguema truly represents change. He previously served as aide-de-camp to former president Omar Bongo, Ali Bongo’s father, who ruled for over four decades until his death in 2009.
“He sold us a dream,” said 34-year-old voter Libaski Moussavou, expressing skepticism about Nguema’s commitment to reform. “He has surrounded himself with Bongo-era figures whom the Gabonese people have long rejected.”
Nguema’s main challenger was Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, the former prime minister under Ali Bongo. Nze, 57, cast his vote in his hometown of Makokou. In a video released by his campaign, he raised concerns over unused voter cards left at polling stations, warning they could be exploited for ballot-stuffing.
While attempting to distance himself from the Bongo administration, Nze criticized Nguema’s military background. “Military men should go back to their barracks,” he told Reuters earlier this week.
Heavy Favourite
Analysts say Nguema’s position as the front-runner reflects a general sense of approval for last year’s coup and his prominence during the campaign.
“Nze’s close ties to the old regime weaken his warnings about Nguema being a threat to democracy,” said Florence Bernault, a Central Africa historian at Sciences Po. “He doesn’t seem to be very well placed to criticise.”
Gabon’s economy grew by 2.9% in 2024, up from 2.4% in 2023, driven by infrastructure investment and exports of oil, manganese, and timber, according to the World Bank. Still, many voters said their concerns were focused on day-to-day issues, including the unreliable supply of basic utilities.
“We talk about it every day,” said Herve Regis Ossouami, a 40-year-old electrician. “I don’t know a Gabonese person who would say they don’t want water and electricity.”
