Gabon General Elections : Hitch-Free Voting Nationwide

Gabonese of voting age on Saturday, August 26, 2023 thronged the various polling station for the election of local, parliamentary representatives as well as a next president. As early as 7: 30 am, the over 800, 000 eligible Gabonese began turning up en masse especially in the capital Libreville to exercise their civic duty. Though there were some delays in some polling stations, the voting exercise went on hitch-free. The Gabonese Center for Elections (GCE) had before the voting appealed to the different stakeholders to remain calm until the final results are made public by the body. Government as well security authorities also warn and took measures against any disturbances by sensitizing the people and deploying security forces to areas noted for high risk of violence in the country.
Incumbent Ali Bongo Ondimba is seeking a third term. Ali Bongo came to power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo.  He won his current term in office by a narrow margin in 2016 amid violent protests. This year, part of the opposition united in favor of economics professor and former minister of education, Albert Ondo Ossa, who based his campaign around breaking Gabon out of the present status quo. He said if elected, he would dissolve the National Assembly, redraw the electoral map and organize a new legislative election, with a goal o...