He then pledged to hand over power to civilians.The country has however since passed a new constitution and electoral code that critics argue were designed to favour a bid for the presidency by the junta leader.

Gabon’s military leader, Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema, has officially declared his candidacy for the country’s presidential election on April 12, following months of speculation. Nguema, who seized power in a 2023 coup that ended the Bongo family’s 55-year rule,

Gabon’s military ruler, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has announced that he will run for president in April. Nguema, who led the coup that deposed his cousin Ali Bongo in August 2023, putting an ended to more than half a century of Bongo dynasty rule, had pledged to hand over power to civilian rule at the end of the transition period.

Gabon's military leader General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led a 2023 coup to end 55 years of Bongo dynasty rule, announced Monday that he would run for president in April.