Gabon: Constitutional court validates 8 presidential candidacies, including that of military leader Oligui Nguema

Gabon’s Constitutional Court has finalized a slate of eight candidates for the upcoming presidential election, including interim President Brice Oligui Nguema, who assumed power in a military coup in 2023.

The April 12 electoral contest represents a critical juncture in Gabon’s political transition following decades of Bongo family dominance over the oil-rich Central African nation. While transitional leaders typically face restrictions on pursuing elected office, Gabon’s November constitutional referendum specifically exempted 50-year-old Nguema from this limitation, prompting concerns about the military government’s intentions.

Political analysts identify former Prime Minister Alain Claude Billie By Nze as Nguema’s primary challenger. The 57-year-old By Nze, who served under deposed President Ali Bongo, has strategically positioned himself as an independent candidate to distance himself from the previous administration.

Additional approved candidates include Stephane Germain Iloko Boussengui, who previously belonged to Bongo’s political party before establishing his own “large rainbow gathering” movement, and tax official Joseph Lapensee Essigone. Entrepreneur Gninga Chaning Zenaba stands as the sole female contender in the race.

Nguema’s 2023 military intervention terminated the Bongo dynasty’s prolonged control of Gabon, where substantial petroleum resources contrast sharply with widespread economic hardship. The coup represented the eighth such power seizure across the West and Central African region within a three-year timeframe.

The junta has consistently portrayed the constitutional referendum as advancing democratic governance, though skeptics question the military leadership’s willingness to relinquish authority following the election. International observers emphasize the importance of transparent electoral proceedings to establish legitimate civilian governance.