Voters in Gabon are set to pick their next president on Saturday, and on paper they have plenty of options: anti-French firebrands, a general who staged a coup, a tax inspector and a female candidate in this oil-rich Central African country.
But most candidates and experts agree that the election might be a done deal. They say the race has been rigged in favor of Brice Oligui Nguema, the general who staged a coup in 2023 and has ignored his early promises to hand power over to a civilian.
“It is not a level playing field to begin with,” said Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Washington-based organization that is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Gabon is a resource-rich country of 2.5 million that was long ruled by one family. Although wealthier than other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, unemployment is widespread and poverty is high, making those key issues for voters.
Here is what to know about the presidential contest.
Who are the main contenders?
A 50-year-old general who swapped his uniform for jeans, Jordan sneakers and Michael Jackson’s dance moves on the campaign trail, Mr. Nguema is widely tipped to win.
Mr. Nguema served as an aide-de-camp to Gabon’s long-ruling autocrat, Omar Bongo, and was head of the Republican Guard under his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was deposed in 2023.
With that coup, Mr. Nguema ended the run of one of Africa’s longest-ruling families. Omar Bongo held power for 41 years, and his son held office for 14.
The coup was the latest of eight military takeovers that have shaken West and Central Africa since 2020.
But Mr. Nguema has rebranded himself as a conventional candidate in the election, with the campaign slogan “It’s good,” or “C’BON” in French, a play on his initials. He has promised to build large infrastructure projects, including a new airport, calling himself “Brice the Builder.”
He has also vowed to preserve ties with France, the former colonial power, which has recently been ordered to withdraw troops from several African countries. Some 350 French troops are in Gabon, but Mr. Nguema has said, “I’m not chasing anyone out.”
Paul Modoss, a 35-year-old entrepreneur, said on Friday that he would vote for Mr. Nguema because he had united the country and embodied renewal. “You can’t call President Brice Oligui Nguema a dictator,” he said. “A dictator doesn’t return power to the people through the ballot box.”
His most serious opponent is Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who was Mr. Bongo’s prime minister.
Mr. Bilie-By-Nze, 57, has vowed to break with Gabon’s pre-coup political system, dismantle its network and reduce French influence, even though he long operated within that system.
He has also called Mr. Nguema’s potential election a threat to democracy and said he wants to diversify Gabon’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues.
Lauréa Mamboundou, a 26-year-old law student, said she would vote for Mr. Bilie-By-Nze for his political experience.
“He is the most competent candidate today, but also the one who would be the easiest to sanction with our votes should he ever betray the people’s trust,” she said. “This is a guarantee against the drift we all fear.”
What are the main issues?
Gabon is rich in mineral resources. It holds a quarter of the world’s reserves of manganese, a mineral used to produce steel. But its economy remains overly dependent on oil, which accounts for 38 percent of Gabon’s gross domestic product.
The country is among the world’s most corrupt countries, according to the watchdog Transparency International. Over 40 percent of young people in Gabon are unemployed. And a third of its 2.5 million people live on less than $5.50 a day, according to the World Bank.
Under Mr. Nguema’s leadership, the interim authorities adopted a new Constitution that allows members of the military to run for office. It also limits a president to two seven-year terms.
Mr. Siegel said the general had borrowed from the playbook of another Central African country, Chad, whose leader seized power when his father was killed in 2021, and who was later declared winner in an election.
Mr. Bilie-By-Nze said Mr. Nguema had flouted electoral rules by using state funds to finance his campaign, while other candidate received no such state support. “The junta’s leader has tailored a Constitution and an electoral law to his own needs to confiscate power,” Mr. Bilie-By-Nze said in a statement.
A spokesman for Mr. Nguema declined to comment.
A region full of aging leaders
Several Central African countries are ruled by authoritarian leaders, including Africa’s top three longest-serving presidents. Two are Gabon’s neighbors: the president of Cameroon has been in power for 42 years and the president of the Republic of Congo has held office for 38 years.
In Gabon, the two leading candidates have a long history with the Bongo family but have tried to distance themselves from it. Each has accused the other of being the candidate of the old regime.
When will the results be announced?
About 860,000 people are expected to go to the polls on Saturday. The results are expected to be announced before April 16.
Yann Leyimangoye contributed reporting from Libreville, Gabon.
