Tag: Ali Bongo Ondimba

  • Tinubu Vigilant as Events Unfold in Gabon, Says Ngalale

    Tinubu Vigilant as Events Unfold in Gabon, Says Ngalale

    By Daniel Edu

    President Bola Tinubu has expressed his strong disapproval of the military coup in Gabon, closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the country. He has also voiced his apprehension about the political state and overall social stability of Gabon.

    Tinubu’s response followed swiftly after a group of Gabonese military officials took to television to announce their overthrow of the current regime, while also invalidating an election that had, by official records, declared President Ali Bongo Ondimba as the winner.

    President Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, conveyed his sentiments to the press. Ngelale emphasized that Tinubu firmly believes in upholding the rule of law and using constitutional means to resolve electoral disputes in Africa, and he is deeply troubled by the apparent spread of autocratic tendencies throughout various parts of the continent.

    “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is closely monitoring the developments in Gabon, with a profound concern for the nation’s socio-political equilibrium and the worrisome growth of autocratic behavior that seems to be infecting different regions of our cherished continent,” Ngelale conveyed.

    Highlighting Tinubu’s dedication to democracy and his personal sacrifices for its advancement, Ngelale explained that Tinubu firmly holds the belief that power should reside in the hands of Africa’s resilient people and not be dictated by the threat of force.

    Ngelale further underlined that Tinubu’s stance upholds the principle that adherence to the rule of law and utilizing constitutional mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes must be safeguarded across the African continent.

    He affirmed that Tinubu is actively collaborating with other African Union heads of state to formulate a comprehensive consensus on the appropriate steps to take in response to the Gabon crisis. This collaboration aims to chart a course for the continent’s reaction to the worrying spread of autocracy.

  • ‘Appeal for Support: Help Needed’ – Former Gabonese President Ali Bongo Appeals to International Contacts after Arrest

    ‘Appeal for Support: Help Needed’ – Former Gabonese President Ali Bongo Appeals to International Contacts after Arrest

    By Daniel Edu

    In a recently surfaced video on social media, Ali Bongo, the deposed President of Gabon, is seen appealing to his international allies for assistance in the aftermath of Wednesday’s coup.

    In the brief 51-second video, Bongo confirms his arrest and his separation from his son and wife, both of whom he states are being held at a different location.

    The group responsible for the coup cites severe institutional, political, economic, and social challenges as the reasons behind their action, which they consider a ‘necessary’ step for the advancement of the West African nation.

    Bongo conveys, “I am Ali Bongo Ondimba, the President of Gabon. I am sending out a message to all our friends across the globe, urging them to raise their voices, to create an outcry.”

    Born on February 9, 1959, in Congo-Brazzaville as Alain Bernard Bongo, the 64-year-old assumed the presidency of Gabon in 2009 after the passing of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled the country for nearly 42 years since 1967.

  • Gabon President, Ali Bongo Reveal Plans To Run For Third Term

    Gabon President, Ali Bongo Reveal Plans To Run For Third Term

    Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba said on Sunday that he would seek a third term as the oil-rich African nation’s head of state.

    “I officially announce today that I am a candidate,” he told a crowd of supporters in a speech broadcast live on his Facebook page.

    Bongo, 64, took over from his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, the country’s ruler for 41 years, in 2009.

    The president was narrowly re-elected in 2016, with just 5,500 more votes than rival Jean Ping who claimed the election had been fixed.

    Bongo suffered a stroke in 2018 and spent months on the sidelines recovering, leaving the opposition to question his fitness to run the nation.

    The Bongo family has ruled the country for 55 years already and is branded a “dynastic power” by the opposition.

    But the opposition has failed to agree on a single candidate for the presidential election, leaving some 15 candidates to announce their intentions to stand.

    In April, the Gabonese parliament voted to amend the constitution and reduce the president’s term from seven to five years.

    Sections of the opposition criticised the changes, in particular the end of two rounds of voting, as a means of “facilitating the re-election” of Bongo.

    AFP