Overview

• Polling stations closed on April 12, 2025, as Gabon conducted its first presidential election since the coup that ended 55 years of Bongo family rule.
• Brice Oligui Nguema, the coup leader turned transitional president, is widely seen as the frontrunner, with a campaign emphasizing anti-corruption and economic diversification.
• Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, a former prime minister under the Bongo regime, positioned himself as a candidate for reform but has struggled to overcome ties to the old system.
• The election was held under a new constitution and updated electoral procedures, including biometric voter registration and high-tech ballot counting, to enhance transparency.
• Observers from international organizations monitored the election, but critics have raised concerns over the use of state resources in Nguema’s campaign and the potential for continuity of the old regime.