The leading opposition candidate in Gabon’s presidential election has questioned the eligibility of Brice Oligui Nguema during an interview with Reuters, asserting that the former military leader-turned-candidate poses a significant risk to democracy.
Nguema seized power in the August 2023 coup that dismantled the Bongo family’s 56-year rule in the oil-rich Central African nation. He is widely anticipated to secure victory in the upcoming election on Saturday.
“Gabonese democracy is at risk,” stated Nguema’s primary opponent, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, in Lambarene, located 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of the capital, Libreville.
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“Military personnel have been permitted to run for office, which means the individual who commands the armed forces, controls the finances, and governs the state is also a candidate,” Nze remarked.
“We must strive to dismantle this system and return the military to their barracks.”
Following the coup, Nguema, 50, pledged to transfer power to civilians as part of a transition back to constitutional governance.
However, a new constitution ratified in November did not prevent Nguema from entering the race, and he declared his candidacy last month.
In March, Nguema informed Radio France Internationale that he had renounced his military position, although he has not officially done so. His spokesperson did not provide a response to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Nze, who served as prime minister under President Ali Bongo at the time of the coup, expressed concerns about the lack of fairness in the lead-up to Saturday’s election.
“When (Nguema) visits a province, all activities cease. Every civil servant is compelled to attend his rallies. It’s outrageous. This has never occurred before,” he stated.
Critics of Ali Bongo accused him of manipulating the 2016 election and violently suppressing subsequent protests.
In an effort to distance himself from the Bongo family, Nze has established his own movement called “Together for Gabon.”