Gabon military leader Brice Oligui Nguema secures win in presidential election

According to the initial results, Nguema's main rival, Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, had won some three per cent of votes on Saturday. Nguema was widely expected to secure a win in the eight-candidate race.

On election day, Bilie-By-Nze warned about "potential" problems during the counting of votes. However, Nguema stressed that the electoral process was "transparent."

After securing a win in the elections, Nguema, while speaking to Al Jazeera, promised to "restore dignity to the Gabonese people." Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said, "I will give back to the people what they have given me today. And everything that has been stolen from the people, I want to return to them."

He called Gabon's foreign policy a success, citing increased international engagement and diplomatic achievements under his leadership. He said, "We have a foreign policy that I intend to make assertive," adding that Gabon has positioned itself as a cooperative partner with major global powers, including France, Russia and the US. He stressed that it has worked well during the transition.

He also spoke about the diplomatic milestones achieved in two years. He said Gabon has received 20 ambassadors, with six accredited here in Libreville, noting that new embassies have opened, including those from the UK and India. He further said Serbia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to follow soon, further boosting Gabon's diplomatic presence.

Nguema said, "This means that, in 19 months, I have achieved a lot." He stated, "And I have succeeded on all fronts -- not just me, but the Gabonese people have succeeded on all fronts."

Brice Oligui Nguema, who once led the Republican Guard under former Gabon President Ali Bongo, campaigned as a reformer. Wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with his slogan "We Build Together", he vowed to clean up corruption, diversify the economy, and invest in agriculture, tourism and industry, Al Jazeera reported.

Around one-third of Gabon's population still lives below the poverty line. Voter turnout in the Gabon election reached 70.4 per cent, significantly more than the 56.65 per cent recorded during the disputed August 2023 vote, which saw Bongo declared the winner for a third term. The opposition rejected the election result and a military coup hours later. Even though Nguema has a seven-year term, however, many remain sceptical of real change.