Oligui Nguema Seized Power Through a Coup. Now He’s Poised to Be Gabon’s President
Gabonese on Saturday, April 12, will elect a new president just 19 months after it became one of several African nations where military forces took control of government. But unlike in Mali, Burkina Faso, or Guinea, where military rulers have tightened their grip on power, Gabon appears to be heading back to civilian leadership—with the coup leader himself likely to win by a landslide.
End of a Dynasty
Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema seized power on August 30, 2023. It came just hours after Gabon’s electoral commission declared President Ali Bongo Ondimba had won a third term with 64% of the vote. Many Gabonese saw the result as lacking credibility, especially after Bongo’s narrow and controversial victory in 2016 and his lengthy health struggles following a stroke in 2018.
The coup marked the end of the Bongo family’s 55-year hold on power. Omar Bongo ruled from 1967 until his death in 2009, passing the reins to his son Ali. Public resentment had grown, especially over perceptions that Ali Bongo’s French-born wife, Sylvia, and their son Nourredin were attempting to wield influence behind the scenes.
When the Republican Guard moved in—detaining the president’s family and placing Bongo under house arrest—there was no resistance. Instead, jubilant crowds flooded the streets of Libreville in celebration, viewing the coup not as a power grab, but a long-overdue liberation from dynastic rule.
Also Read: Why Gabon soldiers ended Ali Bongo’s 14-year rule four days after ‘re-election’
Who is Brice Oligui Nguema?
The man at the centre of this political shift, Brice Oligui Nguema, was the head of the elite Republican Guard. At 50, the former general is now the overwhelming favourite in Gabon’s presidential election scheduled for Saturday.
Since seizing power, Oligui has shed his military fatigues for civilian attire and has spent the past year and a half presenting himself as a transitional leader committed to reform. His political platform is built on the slogan “C’BON”—a clever play on his initials and the French expression “c’est bon,” or “it’s good.”
Reinventing Power
Unlike many of his counterparts in West Africa who have cracked down on dissent or pivoted away from international partnerships, Oligui Nguema has taken a more pragmatic route. He freed political prisoners, opened the door to critics and former opposition figures, and pledged to restore civilian rule within a defined timeframe.
He maintained warm ties with France, Gabon’s former colonial ruler and a key military ally of the Bongo era. In a recent agreement, Camp de Gaulle, a longstanding French military base in Gabon, was converted into a joint training facility—a symbol of continuity rather than rupture.
Under his transitional leadership, Gabon also reclaimed control of key national assets. The government acquired the local operations of several international oil firms, including Tullow, and accelerated infrastructure projects long stalled under the previous administration. While borrowing on the regional money market and issuing a $520 million Eurobond, Oligui’s administration used much of the funds to settle debt and reassure international lenders.
Popular Support, Weak Opposition
Oligui’s popularity among Gabonese citizens—particularly for ending the Bongo family’s political monopoly—has carried him into the campaign period with significant momentum. Public enthusiasm for change remains high, and many citizens view his leadership as a necessary reset.
Though seven other candidates are contesting the election, Oligui’s path to victory appears largely unobstructed. His main challenger, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, a former prime minister under the Bongo administration, has struggled to gain traction in a political climate that has turned decisively against the old guard.
What Comes Next
Should he secure the seven-year mandate, as widely expected, Oligui Nguema will face the more difficult task of delivering on the expectations he helped create. So far, the transition period has been marked by consensus, minimal opposition, and a national mood of relief.
But with power now consolidated, there will be heightened scrutiny of his decisions. Any missteps in governance or unfulfilled promises could quickly erode the goodwill he currently enjoys.
