‘We Were Happy Ali Bongo Was Overthrown’ – Gabon’s Main Opposition Makes Demand After Coup

Gabon’s main opposition group, Alternance 2023, has asked the leader of the military coup in the country, General Brice Oligui Nguema, to hand over power to it instead of being sworn in as the transitional president.

The main opposition group said it was happy about the overthrow of the nation’s President, Ali Bongo, but swearing in Nguema, as the transitional president is absurd.

The spokesperson for Alternance 2023 leader Albert Ondo Ossa, Alexandra Pangha, told the BBC that the group won in the nation’s last Tuesday general election, Naija News gathered.

Pangha said the opposition group wants a full vote count from Tuesday’s election, to show that Ondo Ossa had won, adding that the junta’s plan to inaugurate Nguema as head of state on Monday was “absurd.”

He stated, “We were happy that Ali Bongo was overthrown, but … we hope that the international community will stand up in favour of the Republic and the democratic order in Gabon by asking the military to give back the power to the civilians.” 

Pangha said the opposition hoped to get an invitation from the junta to discuss the Central African country’s transition plan but said it had not received anything yet.

Gabon’s election commission had declared Bongo the winner of the election with 64% of the vote, while Ondo Ossa secured almost 31%.

Recall that Bongo, who was reportedly re-elected for his third term, was ousted on Wednesday by the military junta, who declared the elections nulled.

The junta has, however, revealed its intention of swearing in Nguema, as a transitional president on Monday.