President of Gabon

The president of Gabon (Template:Langx) is the head of state and government of Gabon. A total of four people have served as president (not counting the collective head of state, one disputed president, three acting presidents and one transitional president) since the post was formed in 1960.

The current president, Brice Oligui Nguema, took power in a coup on 30 August 2023 from Ali Bongo. He was eventually elected to the presidency in the 2025 presidential election.

Description of the office

Election

The president of the republic is elected for a presidential term of seven years, universal and direct suffrage, as per the 2024 Constitution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The president is eligible for re-election once, with a maximum of two consecutive terms, regardless of constitutional revisions.<ref name="Art42">Article 42 of the Constitution of 2024.</ref> The 2024 Constitution reintroduced a two-term limit, replacing the unlimited re-election allowed under earlier amendments and explicitly prohibiting more than two successive mandates.<ref name="Art42" /><ref name="Art169">Article 169 of the Constitution of 2024.</ref>

The election is conducted via a two-round majoritarian system. The candidate who obtains an absolute majority of votes expressed in the first round is elected. If no candidate achieves this, a second round is held 14 days after the proclamation of results, between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round. The candidate with the most votes in the second round is elected. In case of withdrawal or permanent incapacity of one of the top two candidates, the next highest-ranking candidate from the first round replaces them.<ref name="Art42" />

Eligibility for the presidency is restricted to Gabonese citizens of either sex who:

• are born Gabonese to at least one Gabonese parent, themselves born Gabonese;

• hold exclusive Gabonese nationality (dual nationals must renounce other nationalities three years prior);

• are aged between 35 and 70 years;

• are married to a Gabonese spouse born to at least one Gabonese parent, themselves born Gabonese;

• have resided in Gabon continuously for at least three years before the election;

• can speak at least one national language;

• enjoy full civil and political rights;

• are certified to be in complete physical and mental well-being by a sworn medical panel designated by the bureaus of both parliamentary chambers.<ref name="Art43">Article 43 of the Constitution of 2024.</ref>

The president’s spouse and descendants are ineligible to run for the presidency immediately following the president’s term.<ref name="Art43" /> If a candidate dies or is incapacitated within the month before the first round, the Constitutional Court may postpone the election, but not beyond the incumbent president’s term end.<ref name="Art43" />

The Constitutional Court may extend election timelines, but the election must occur no later than the expiration of the incumbent president’s mandate.<ref name="Art44">Article 44 of the Constitution of 2024.</ref> If the election is delayed beyond the current president’s term, the president remains in office until their successor is elected.<ref name="Art44" /> The modalities for these provisions are set by organic law.<ref name="Art44" />

The presidential term begins on the day of the presidential oath, within eight working days after the Constitutional Court proclaimed the results, and ends after the seventh year.<ref name="Art44" /> The election must take place no later than three months before the end of the incumbent president’s term.<ref name="Art44" /> The incumbent president may not shorten their term to seek another mandate.<ref name="Art44" />

If the incumbent president runs for re-election, they cannot legislate by ordinance from the announcement of their candidacy until the election, and the National Assembly may not be dissolved. In cases of necessity, Parliament may convene in an extraordinary session.<ref name="Art44" />

Oath of office

The presidential oath marks the beginning of the presidential term and must occur after the Constitutional Court proclaims the official election results, within eight working days if no disputes arise, or within 15 days if contested.<ref name="Art44" /> The president solemnly takes the following oath before the Constitutional Court and Parliament, with the left hand on the Constitution and the right hand raised before the national flag:<ref name="Art45">Article 45 of the Constitution of 2024.</ref> Template:Blockquote

Vacancy

In case of a temporary incapacity of the president, as certified by the Constitutional Court upon referral by the presidents of both parliamentary chambers or the Vice-President of the Government, the Vice-President of the Republic temporarily assumes presidential duties, excluding certain powers (e.g., constitutional amendments, dissolution of the National Assembly, or referendum initiation). Temporary incapacity cannot exceed forty-five days, after which it becomes permanent.<ref name="Art46">Article 46 of the Constitution of 2024.</ref> In case of a vacancy or permanent incapacity of the president, as certified by the Constitutional Court upon referral by the National Assembly bureau (by a two-thirds majority) or the Vice-President of the Government (after a simple majority vote in the Council of Ministers), the president of the Senate temporarily assumes presidential duties. If the Senate president is incapacitated, the first vice-president of the Senate takes over. The interim president exercises full presidential powers, except for specific powers (e.g., constitutional amendments or dissolution), and is ineligible to run in the subsequent presidential election.<ref name="Art46" /> The interim president must take the following oath before the Constitutional Court and Parliament, with the left hand on the Constitution and the right hand raised before the national flag:<ref name="Art46" /> Template:Blockquote In cases of vacancy or permanent incapacity, the election for a new president must occur between 30 and 120 days after the vacancy or incapacity is declared, unless the Constitutional Court cites force majeure.<ref name="Art46" /> The modalities are set by organic law.<ref name="Art46" />

List of officeholders

Political parties

Other factions

Status

Symbols

Template:Note label Elected unopposed

Template:Note label Died in office

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 1	File:Léon M'ba 1964.jpg	Léon M'ba Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Text Template:Text	Template:Nowrap 1960	Template:Nowrap 1967Template:Ref label	Template:Ayd	BDG	Himself Template:Small Post abolished Template:Small
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | —	File:Gabonese Coat of arms.svg	Revolutionary CommitteeTemplate:Efn Template:Small	—	17 February 1964	18 February 1964	Template:Ayd	Military	None
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | —	File:Aubame.jpg	Jean-Hilaire Aubame Template:SmallTemplate:Efn Template:Small	—	18 February 1964	19 February 1964	Template:Ayd	UDSG	None
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 2	File:Omar Bongo 1973.jpg	Omar Bongo Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	—	Template:Nowrap 1967	Template:Nowrap 1967	Template:Ayd	BDG Template:Small PDG	Post abolished Template:Small Mébiame Oyé-Mba Obame-Nguema Ntoutoume Emane Eyeghe Ndong
Template:Text Template:Text Template:Text 1993 1998 2005			Template:Nowrap 1967	Template:Nowrap 2009Template:EfnTemplate:Ref label
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | —	File:No image.png	Divungi Di Ndinge Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	—	Template:Nowrap 2009	Template:Nowrap 2009	Template:Ayd	ADERE	Eyeghe Ndong
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | —	File:No image.png	Rose Francine Rogombé Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	—	Template:Nowrap 2009	Template:Nowrap 2009	Template:Ayd	PDG	Eyeghe Ndong Biyoghé Mba
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 3	File:President Bongo Ondimba (52054341321) (cropped).jpg	Ali Bongo Template:SmallTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn	2009 2016 2023	Template:Nowrap 2009	Template:Nowrap 2023 Template:Small	Template:Ayd	PDG	Biyoghé Mba Ndong Sima Ona Ondo Issoze-Ngondet Nkoghe Bekale Raponda By Nze
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 4	File:Brice Oligui Nguema in 2024 (cropped).jpg	Brice Oligui Nguema Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	—	Template:Nowrap 2023<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Nowrap 2025	Template:Ayd	UDBTemplate:Efn	Ndong Sima
2025			Template:Nowrap 2025	Incumbent	Post abolished Template:Small

Timeline

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 id:ind   value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)    legend:None_(Independent)
 id:mil   value:rgb(0.76,0.69,0.57) legend:Military
 id:bdg   value:rgb(0,0.4,0.2)      legend:Gabonese_Democratic_Bloc
 id:pdg   value:rgb(0.06,0.59,0.22) legend:Gabonese_Democratic_Party
 id:udsg  value:rgb(1,0,0)          legend:Gabonese_Democratic_and_Social_Union
 id:adere value:rgb(0.1,0.3,0.91)   legend:Democratic_and_Republican_Alliance
 id:udb   value:rgb(0.25,0.43,0.71) legend:Democratic_Union_of_Builders

 id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
 id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1960 till:31/12/{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1960 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1960

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 pos:(20,65) textcolor:black fontsize:M
 text:"Political party:"

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bar:M'ba
bar:Aubame
bar:OmarBongo
bar:DiNdinge
bar:Rogombe
bar:AliBongo
bar:Oligui

PlotData =

 width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:M'ba
 from: 17/08/1960 till: 17/02/1964 color:bdg
 from: 18/02/1964 till: 28/11/1967 color:bdg   text:"Léon M'ba"
bar:Aubame
 from: 18/02/1964 till: 19/02/1964 color:udsg  text:"Jean-Hilaire Aubame (coup)"
bar:OmarBongo
 from: 28/11/1967 till: 12/03/1968 color:bdg
 from: 12/03/1968 till: 08/06/2009 color:pdg   text:"Omar Bongo"
bar:DiNdinge
 from: 06/05/2009 till: 10/06/2009 color:adere text:"Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge (acting)"
bar:Rogombe
 from: 10/06/2009 till: 16/10/2009 color:pdg   text:"Rose Francine Rogombé (acting)"
bar:AliBongo
 from: 16/10/2009 till: 30/08/2023 color:pdg   text:"Ali Bongo"
bar:Oligui
 from: 30/08/2023 till: 04/03/2025 color:mil
 from: 04/03/2025 till: 23/06/2025 color:ind
 from: 23/06/2025 till: $today     color:udb   text:"Brice Oligui Nguema"

</timeline>

See also

• First Lady of Gabon
• Vice President of Gabon
• Prime Minister of Gabon
• List of colonial governors of Gabon
• Politics of Gabon

External links

• Template:Official website Template:In lang
• World Statesmen – Gabon
• 1991 Constitution of Gabon (as amended in 2011) Template:In lang