Gabon’s junta leader, Brice Oligui Nguema, will face three challengers in the presidential election on April 12, 2025. The challengers include Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, the last prime minister under Ali Bongo Ondimba, lawyer Joseph Lapensee Essingone, and doctor Stéphane Germain Iloko Boussengui. The election will be preceded by campaigning starting on March 29, with disqualifications among other candidates allowing for appeals.
Brice Oligui Nguema, leading Gabon’s junta, will run against three candidates in the presidential election on April 12, 2025. The final candidate list, announced on Sunday, features Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, the former prime minister under dismissed President Ali Bongo Ondimba, regarded as Oligui’s strongest rival. Oligui also faces lawyer Joseph Lapensee Essingone and doctor Stéphane Germain Iloko Boussengui.
Interior Minister Hermann Immongault disclosed that 23 candidates applied for the election, but only four qualified. The reasons for the disqualification of the 19 applicants, including notable trade unionist Jean-Remy Yama, were not revealed. Those rejected are eligible to appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court.
Oligui announced his candidacy on March 3, promising a return to civilian governance post-transition. A new electoral code permits military personnel to participate in elections, facilitating Oligui’s independent presidential bid after he filed on Saturday. Campaigning will commence on March 29, with a second-round run-off date yet to be decided.
Gabon’s upcoming presidential election will feature military leader Brice Oligui Nguema among three challengers, including a key opponent from the previous government. Despite a broad application pool, strict eligibility criteria narrowed the candidates to four. The election, framed by a newly established electoral code accommodating military candidates, signals a significant political shift following years of Bongo family rule.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
