Polling centers closed in on Saturday after a which junta chief Brice Oligui Nguema is widely expected to win.
Oligui Nguema, and a , had been leading in pre-election polls.
He campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket. He has also emphasized the need to break from the dynasty of Omar Bongo Ondimba and his son and successor Ali Bongo, who together ruled Gabon for more than 50 years.
‘Confident’ Oligui Nguema tipped to remain in power
In the run up to the election — the first to be held in the country since the coup — Oligui Nguema had predicted a “historic victory.”
“I am very confident. May the best man win,” he said as he cast his ballot alongside his wife Zita at a school in the center of the Gabonese capital Libreville.
Alain Claude “Bilie” By Nze, his main opponent who was foreign minister before the coup, has cast himself as the candidate for a “complete rupture” with the country’s past.
He has accused Oligui Nguema, who led the Republican Guard under the Bongos, of continuing their legacy.
After casting his ballot, Nze warned reporters of potential “problems” during the counting.
“We’ll see what it will bring,” he added.
Election monitors at the Citizens Observers Network (ROC) said they were denied access to several voting offices, but Oligui Nguema insisted the election had been “transparent” and “peaceful.”
Ballot counting started shortly after 6 pm (5 pm UTC) when most polling centers closed, although some remained open for voters who were still waiting to cast their ballot.
Around 920,000 Gabonese were eligible to vote. The interior ministry said turnout was 87.12%.
Initial results are expected to be announced on Sunday. The winner will be handed a seven-year mandate that can be renewed once.
Why does the election matter?
It is the Sahel nation’s first election since the 2023 coup ousted the Bongo dynasty from power.
The election in the former French colony of 2.3 million people comes amid high unemployment, regular power and water shortages and heavy government debt.
The small West African country is resource-rich, with significant deposits of petroleum, manganese, and iron ore.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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