Voters in Gabon are set to pick their next president on Saturday, and on paper they have plenty of options: anti-French firebrands, a general who staged a coup, a tax inspector and a female candidate in this oil-rich Central African country.
But most candidates and experts agree that the election might be a done deal. They say the race has been rigged in favor of Brice Oligui Nguema, the general who staged a coup in 2023 and has ignored his early promises to hand power over to a civilian.
“It is not a level playing field to begin with,” said Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Washington-based organization that is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Gabon is a resource-rich country of 2.5 million that was long ruled by one family. Although wealthier than other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, unemployment is widespread and poverty is high, making those key issues for voters.
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Here is what to know about the presidential contest.
Who are the main contenders?
A 50-year-old general who swapped his uniform for jeans, Jordan sneakers and Michael Jackson’s dance moves on the campaign trail, Mr. Nguema is widely tipped to win.
Mr. Nguema served as an aide-de-camp to Gabon’s long-ruling autocrat, Omar Bongo, and was head of the Republican Guard under his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was deposed in 2023.
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