Gabon Elects a President

By any standard, African politics can be unusual. However, in 2009, one of the strangest events in an African election took place. Ali Bongo seized power in Gabon, succeeding his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled for over 40 years. That was not the strange part; sons seizing power from their fathers is painfully common. What was unusual was that Ali had once pursued a career in music, reportedly releasing a funk album before entering politics. He put aside his artistic ambitions and spent over a decade ruling Gabon, an impoverished nation then under the thumb of a musician president.

Unsurprisingly, it is widely believed that Bongo maintained power with the support of Gabon’s former colonizer, France, which held strong business and political ties with his administration. During his tenure, Gabon was accused of enabling corruption and financial crimes while roughly ⅓ of the population remained in poverty. But after a 2023 coup removed him from office, the nation began a slow and painful shift toward democracy.

That brings us to this past Saturday, when Gabon held its first presidential election since the military coup that ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo family. Brigadier General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the coup and served as transitional president, won with 90.35% of the vote, according to results announced by the interior ministry. His opponent, former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, received just over 3%.

Voter turnout reached 70.4%, the highest participation rate since Gabon’s first multi-party elections in the 1990's. The vote took place under a new constitution approved in late 2024, which established a seven-year presidential term, renewable only once—a move designed to prevent political families like the Bongos from returning to power.

This reform is central to Nguema’s agenda to restore civilian rule and address economic inequality. The African Union and European Union deployed observers, and although civil society groups reported that most polling stations operated adequately, local election monitors said they were denied access. Nguema, however, insisted the election had been "transparent."

But why does this election matter? The Sahel is one of the world’s most impoverished regions, despite being rich in petrol. It is no surprise that the area is constantly covered in war and chaos. Gabon, with a population of 3.2 million, is heavily dependent on oil, which makes up over 70% of its exports. Yet, with sky high unemployment, and an economy that desperately needs to diversify Gabon is hanging precariously which means its on Nguema to return it to its prominence. 

Extemp Analysis by Rowan Seipp

Q: Will President Nguema be able to solve Gabon’s economic woes?

Here's how you could approach answering this question, case-by-case. 

AGD: Come on, the guy wrote a music album. Play into this opportunity for humor.

Background: Gabon is oil rich but people are starving, extrapolate on the poverty and poor human condition.

Significance Statement: Note that we're talking about 3.2 million people in poverty in one of the most war torn areas on earth.

When answering this question, some potential points include:

P1: Chinese influence 

P2: Government spending increases 

P3: Push for renewables 

Let's analyze P1 in more detail. We could split up this point as such:

P1: Chinese Influence 

A. Gabon adheres to the one China policy

B. China builds a military base in Gabon

C. Increased Chinese investment means more money for Gabon

Read More Here:

• Joan Tilouine, Le Monde

• France 24 Staff, France 24

• Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera