Libreville, Gabon –
The Democratic Union of Builders (UDB), a political party formed earlier this year by President Brice Oligui Nguema, has emerged as the frontrunner in Gabon’s first legislative elections since the 2023 military coup that ended the Bongo dynasty’s 50-year rule.
Preliminary results show the UDB securing 55 of 145 seats in the National Assembly after the first round of voting. Former President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG) won only three seats, with an additional four seats split between the two parties on joint tickets.
A second round of elections, scheduled for October 11, will decide the remaining 77 constituencies, most of which are tightly contested between the UDB and PDG. The final outcome will determine the full balance of power in the new legislature.
This election follows Gabon’s adoption of a controversial electoral code that permitted military figures to run for office. General Oligui Nguema, who seized power in August 2023, subsequently won the April 2025 presidential election, restoring a presidential system of governance.
Though the National Assembly holds limited legislative power, the vote is being closely watched as a critical step in Gabon’s transition back to constitutional civilian rule.
Source: Africanews
