APA-Libreville (Gabon) Gabon’s ailing president Ali Bongo has been deposed by the military, shortly after being declared the winner of a presidential election.
Renegade soldiers have scrambled together what they called the Committee for the Transition and the Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) after announcing on national television that they had overthrown Mr Bongo, in power since 2009.
This brings an end to more than 55 years of the Bongo family’s political dominance of the oil-rich nation following the coming to power of Ali Bongo’s father Omar Bongo who ruled the country for over 40 years.
In a statement in the wee hours of Wednesday, military men in fatigues indicate that the defense and security forces have “decided to defend peace by putting an end to the regime in place”.
The group of officers denounced the way in which the general elections of August 26 were held.
“It must be admitted that the organisation of the electoral deadlines known as the general elections of August 26, 2023 did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so hoped for by Gabonese men and women”, they charged.
The CTRI has therefore decided to annul the election, the results of which, announced overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, give victory to the now deposed President Ali Bongo who was on course to serve a third term.
The putschists decreed the dissolution of all Gabonese institutions, notably the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, the constitutional court, the economic, social and environmental council, and the Gabonese Elections Council.
They have also closed the country’s borders until further notice.
A little earlier, the provisional results of the presidential election gave victory to Mr. Bongo with a score of 64.27% against 30.77% for Albert Ondo Ossa, his main challenger.
There was a 56 percent voter turnout for which about 850,000 Gabonese were registered to vote, according to the electoral body.
Thirteen candidates including the ailing Bongo were running for the presidency.
When the polling stations closed on Saturday, Bongo’s main opponent Albert Ondo Ossa claimed massive fraud and warned against any attempt to tamper with the results of the election.
Ali Bongo Ondimba came to power in 2009 upon the death of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba who ruled Gabon from December 1967 to June 2009.
RK/ac/as/APA