In a move widely seen as an effort to solidify his grip on power, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema has unveiled a new political party just two years after coming to power through a military coup.
Nguema officially announced the formation of the Democratic Union of Builders, known by its French acronym UDB, marking a new chapter in Gabon’s political landscape.
In a statement released by the party, the UDB emphasized its mission to “unite the Gabonese people around a shared vision of rebuilding the country.” It pledged to drive “transformation, unity, and elevation” in a nation recovering from decades of governance under a single ruling family.
President Nguema, a former general, claimed a sweeping victory in Gabon’s April 2025 presidential election, reportedly winning about 95 percent of the vote. His ascension to the presidency followed the August 2023 military coup that ousted then-President Ali Bongo Ondimba, effectively ending 56 years of Bongo family rule. The late Omar Bongo had governed the country for over 40 years, succeeded by his son Ali in 2009.
