John AdoyiGeneral Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of Gabon’s military government, has been declared the winner of the country’s 2025 presidential election. He won by a landslide, according to provisional results announced by the Interior Ministry.
The Interior Minister, Hermann Immongault, confirmed on Sunday that Nguema secured over 90% of the total votes cast, decisively defeating his seven challengers. His main opponent, Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, a former prime minister under the ousted Ali Bongo administration, came in a distant second with just 3.02% of the vote.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelNguema, who led the August 2023 coup that toppled his cousin, Ali Bongo, ending the Bongo family’s more than 50-year rule, campaigned on promises to combat corruption, restore democracy, and improve living standards. The bloodless coup was triggered by allegations of electoral fraud and widespread corruption under the Bongo regime.
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Speaking to Al Jazeera after his victory, an elated Nguema pledged to prioritize the welfare of Gabonese citizens. “I will give back to the people what they have given me today,” he said. “Everything that has been stolen from the people, I want to return to them.” He also vowed to “restore dignity to the Gabonese people” through transparent governance and economic reforms.
Saturday’s election marked Gabon’s first presidential vote since the 2023 coup, signaling the end of the transitional military government and a return to constitutional rule. Nguema, 50, resigned from his military position in March 2025 to comply with electoral laws, which bar active military personnel from running for office.
Under Gabon’s revised electoral code, Nguema will serve a seven-year term, renewable only once. The Interior Ministry reported a voter turnout of 87.21%, with approximately 920,000 registered voters, including over 28,000 in the diaspora, casting ballots across more than 3,000 polling stations.
International observers who were closely monitoring the process, said the votes were transparent despite opposition candidates, raising concerns of malpractice.
