Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been in power for almost 14 years, said on Sunday (9 July) that he would seek a third term in the elections scheduled for 26 August. “I officially announce today that I am a candidate,” Ondimba told a crowd of supporters in a speech broadcast live on his Facebook page. In 2009, the 64-year-old Bongo took over from his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled the oil-rich African nation for 41 years. The Bongo family that has ruled the country for more than half a century already is branded a “dynastic power” by the opposition. For the time being, Bongo is the clear favorite for the presidential election, as various opposition parties have failed to form a single coalition.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 10, 2023 12:46 UTC