LIBREVILLE – Gabon’s upcoming presidential election will see President Ali Bongo Ondimba contend with 18 other candidates, as announced by authorities on Monday.
Bongo, who has been at the helm of the oil-rich West African state for 55 years, is considered the favorite to win a third term.
The 64-year-old leader, who succeeded his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, in 2009, officially declared in July that he would seek re-election.
His primary rivals include Alexandre Barro Chambrier of the opposition Rally for the Fatherland and Modernity (RPM) party, as well as Paulette Missambo, the head of the National Union.
Despite efforts, the opposition failed to unite behind a single candidate to challenge Bongo in the upcoming August 26 poll.
However, the field of candidates includes former ministers and members of the Alternance 2023 coalition.
Bongo’s Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) holds significant majorities in both houses of parliament, bolstering his political position.
In the previous election in 2016, Bongo was re-elected narrowly with just 5,500 more votes than his rival, Jean Ping, who alleged electoral fraud.
The announcement of the results led to violence in the capital, Libreville, resulting in five deaths, according to the government.
The opposition disputes this figure, claiming that the security forces killed 30 people.
The president’s health has been a subject of concern after he suffered a stroke in 2018, which required months of recovery and raised questions about his fitness to govern the nation.
In April, the Gabonese parliament approved a constitutional amendment reducing the president’s term from seven to five years.
The upcoming presidential election will coincide with the elections for the National Assembly, regional, and local councils.
Gabon boasts one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, mainly attributed to its oil revenue and relatively small population of 2.3 million.
However, a third of the population still lives below the poverty threshold, according to the World Bank.
