Gabon: the risk of turning Oligui Nguema’s mandate into a partisan tool

Following months of discreet observation, former presidential candidate Dieudonné Minlama Mintogo has broken his silence in a bold public statement. In his assessment of the current political landscape, he warns the new authorities against a critical danger: reducing President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s overwhelming mandate to a mere instrument of partisan advantage.

Speaking exclusively to national media, Minlama Mintogo emphasizes that the real challenge facing Gabon’s Fifth Republic is not economic or institutional, but fundamentally political. With over 94% of the vote in the 2025 presidential election, he argues, the president possesses a legitimacy unparalleled in recent Gabonese political history—a legitimacy that demands equally exceptional responsibility.

Mandate rooted in national unity, not partisan loyalty

According to the former opposition figure, the president’s sweeping electoral victory cannot be attributed to the success of any single political party. Instead, it reflects a profound national aspiration born from the historic events of August 30, 2023, and reinforced during the restoration of constitutional order. “The gravest mistake would be to convert a people’s mandate into a party’s mandate,” he cautions.

At the heart of his concern lies a growing fear: the gradual narrowing of the political space to a small circle of actors, sidelining countless citizens, political leaders, civil society voices, and transitional supporters who helped shape Gabon’s new political dawn.

The danger of a two-tiered Republic

Minlama Mintogo reflects that what made President Oligui Nguema’s project so compelling was its ability to rise above entrenched divisions. The Transition, he notes, was backed by a diverse coalition united by a single, shared goal: to close the chapter on past conflicts and forge a new path forward.

Any move toward exclusion, he warns, risks undermining the spirit of national unity that has defined the Fifth Republic’s early days. The true test ahead, he asserts, will be the ability of the government to uphold this inclusive vision by building a governance model that engages talent across the nation—regardless of political affiliation.

Honoring the spirit of August 30

At its core, Minlama Mintogo’s message is a call to vigilance. The president’s historic mandate, he stresses, stems precisely from his perception as a unifying figure—not as a representative of one faction. The success or failure of the Fifth Republic, he concludes, will hinge on the authorities’ capacity to preserve this inclusive momentum. The 94% of votes received in the election, he reminds, is not a political asset to be leveraged, but a profound historical responsibility to be fulfilled.