For allegedly orchestrating electoral fraud, the Gabonese military officers have sacked President Ali Bongo and truncated his plan to enjoy a third term in office.
A dozen mutinous soldiers appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the Republic”.
The Wednesday morning announcement came after President Ali Bongo Ondimba was declared re-elected for a third term, in an election described by the opposition as a ‘fraud orchestrated’ by the ruling party.
Immediately after the national election and shutting down the internet nationwide, the Gabonese coup plotters, claiming that they had taken over power, annulled the election results and dissolved all state institutions.
A video grab taken from TV channel, Gabon 24 showed Gabonese soldiers appearing on television to announce that they were “putting an end to the current regime” and the cancellation of an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won.
Reports indicated that gunfire rang out in the Gabonese capital, Libreville as one of the officers announced the cancellation of polls’ results, adding; “All the institutions of the republic” have been dissolved, and “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime”.
Claiming to speak on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions”, he further said; “To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled. All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court.”
Similarly, he announced the closure of the country’s borders “until further notice”. Among the soldiers were members of the Republican Guard as well as soldiers of the regular army and some police officers.
Meanwhile, the soldiers also disclosed that they have the president under house arrest in a location believed to be the presidential palace with agencies’ reports saying there have been scenes of celebration in the Gabonese capital, Libreville, after the coup.
Before the announcement by the officers, Gabon’s national electoral Commission had declared President Ali Bongo Ondimba of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (GDP) re-elected for a third term in the polls held on Saturday, August 26, 2023.
With the latest development, Gabon has joined the list of countries that have recorded military takeovers within the continent, particularly West Africa, in the last four years
Among them are Mali (August 2020), Republic of Chad (April 2021), Guinea (September 2021), Burkina Faso (October 2022), Sudan (April 2023), and Niger Republic (July 2023)
