Gabon to hold elections on April 12

Gabon's strongman General Brice Oligui Nguema salutes as he is inaugurated as Gabon's interim President, in Libreville on September 4, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The planned election could signal the country’s return to the African Union family.
- The announcement comes after the country’s parliament adopted a new electoral code.
Gabon will hold presidential elections on April 12, putting an end to the transitional military rule that has been in the country following the August 30, 2023 coup.
The council of ministers confirmed the scheduling of the vote following a meeting chaired by military ruler, Gen Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema in Libreville on Wednesday.
It could signal the country’s return to the African Union family, after it was suspended for committing a coup a year a and a half ago.
Coups and other unconstitutional changes in government are illegal under the African Union policy since 2005. Mali, Sudan, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea are the other countries still suspended from AU activities for violating this policy.
In Gabon, however, the plan for elections signals a return to civilian rule, but not necessarily an end for the military ruler who may yet transit to civilian mandate.
"Under the terms of this decree, the electoral college is convened for Saturday, April 12, 2025," the government said in a statement at the end of the meeting. The vote, it said, will run from 7am to 6pm local time (GMT+1).
New constitution
The ministers also approved the creation of an independent agency for the management of elections and referenda, the statement said.
The nine-member team has been entrusted with the crucial mission of supervising the preparation and management of the polls, thus guaranteeing strict compliance with the electoral code.
The announcement comes after the country’s parliament adopted a new electoral code during an extraordinary session that spanned January 10-20. The new legislation sets the modalities for the vote.
In November last year, the Gabonese voted ‘yes’ to a referendum on a new constitution that bars transitional leaders from running for the presidency, although a window was provided for Nguema to run. The junta leader has, however, not publicly declared his intensions to transition to a civilian leader.
Nguema had first committed to organising a “free, fair, transparent and credible elections” in August 2025. A biometric voter registration is underway in the country. Launched on January 2, it is previewed to end on January 31 and will add to the 850,000 names currently in the electoral database.
In his New Year 2025’s message, Nguema called on Gabonese, especially those who have just attained the voting age of 18 to show up massively and register for the elections which he said will be an opportunity for them to decide the country’s trajectory.