Gabonese citizens went to the polls on Saturday, September 27, for the country’s first legislative and local elections since a military coup in 2023 ended more than five decades of Bongo family rule.
Over 900,000 eligible voters were expected to elect new members of parliament and local councilors to replace officials appointed by the military. The polls followed the April presidential election, which saw Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema—who led the coup against Ali Bongo Ondimba—secure victory, marking a formal return to constitutional governance. Voting began with minor delays in Libreville due to morning rain but proceeded largely peacefully. In one constituency in Ntoum, however, voting was cancelled following tensions between candidates.
The elections will determine 145 members of the National Assembly, including two representing Gabonese abroad, as well as local councilors who will later elect senators, mayors and regional leaders.
The dominant contenders are the long-established Gabonese Democratic Party and the newly formed Democratic Union of Builders (UDB), founded by Oligui Nguema earlier this year.
While Gabon adopted a new Constitution last year, its parliament wields limited power under the presidential system. Oligui Nguema has pledged wide-ranging reforms to diversify the oil-dependent economy, tackle youth unemployment and improve infrastructure and essential services. A second round of voting is scheduled for 11 October in constituencies where no candidate wins an outright majority.