Four official candidates have emerged for the Gabonese presidential election, including the current transitional president, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
He assumed power following the August 2023 coup that ousted Ali Bongo, leading the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI).
The National Commission for the Organization and Coordination of Elections and the Referendum (CNOCER) confirmed only four candidacies from the 23 submitted for the presidential election scheduled for April 12, as stated in a press release from the Ministry of the Interior and Security on Sunday, March 9.
The selected candidates are Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, Joseph Lapensee Essingone, Stephane Germain Iloko Boussengui, and Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. This selection aligns with the Transition Charter, the Constitution established on December 19, 2024, and the Gabonese electoral code, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Among the 19 applications that were rejected were those of three women candidates: Marlene Fabienne Essola Efountame, Zenaba Gninga Chaning, and Marion Nadia N’Negue Mintsa.
The press release noted that candidates whose applications were denied have 72 hours to appeal to the Constitutional Court following the publication of the list.
This presidential election will be the first held since the military junta took control in August 2023, following the disputed elections that year that led to the removal of President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA