First round of Gabon's presidential election set for April

LIBREVILLE - Gabon's Energy Minister and government spokesperson Séraphin Akure-Davin announced late Wednesday that the central African country's presidential election will take place on April 12.

The electoral college will be convened for the announced date, with voting taking place in accordance with regulations in force, he said while reading the final communiqué from the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.

As of now, no one has officially declared candidacy for president.

According to the new constitution adopted in November 2024, Gabon will implement a presidential system, abolishing the position of prime minister. The presidential term is set at seven years, with a limit of one re-election.

On Aug 30, 2023, Gabon announced that Ali Bongo had been re-elected in the presidential election held on Aug 26. Shortly afterward, members of the military, on behalf of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) established by them, declared the annulment of the election results, claiming they had seized power and dissolved state institutions.

Nguema, commander-in-chief of the Gabonese Republican Guard, was subsequently appointed as head of the CTRI and the transitional president of Gabon.

In November of the same year, the CTRI announced plans to hold a referendum on the new constitution by the end of 2024 and to organize general elections in August 2025.