Gabon: the Constitutional Court confirms the victory of “Yes” in the referendum

Gabon: the Constitutional Court confirms the victory of “Yes” in the referendum

ByThe Mwebantu Team

The Constitutional Court of Gabon validated on Friday the adoption of the new Constitution approved by referendum in mid-November, with a score of 91.64% in favor of “yes”, announced its president.

When the final results were announced, a drop in the number of registered voters (853,028 versus 868,115), voters (462,166 versus 463,066) and votes cast (416,382 versus 454,173) was noted compared to the provisional data from the Ministry of the Interior. However, the participation rate increased slightly, reaching 54.18% compared to 53.54% initially announced.

“ After examining the results, the Court declares that the referendum of November 16, 2024 obtained an overall score of 91.64% for +yes+”declared Dieudonné Aba’a Owono, president of the Constitutional Court. This percentage is slightly lower than the 91.80% announced by the Ministry of the Interior the day after the election.

With the adoption of this new Constitution, the next step will be the revision of the Electoral Code, with a view to the presidential election scheduled for August 2025. The president of the transition, General Brice Oligui Nguema, who came to power after ousted the Bongo family who had ruled the country for 55 years, described this referendum as a “historic step”. Although he promised to return power to civilians, General Oligui did not hide his presidential ambitions, claiming to want to lead the country towards a “rise towards happiness”.

The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.