Gabon is an oil-rich country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. It became independent from France on 17 August 1960 [1].
For most of its history, Gabon was ruled by one family. Two presidents died in office, and the third was removed by the army just after being declared the winner of an election. Here is the short answer, followed by the full story.
Quick answer
- Gabon has had 4 presidents since independence in 1960, plus 1 interim (temporary) president [1].
- 2 presidents died in office: Léon M’ba in 1967 and Omar Bongo in 2009 [1].
- 1 president was overthrown in a coup (a coup, or coup d’état, is when the army or a small group takes power by force): Ali Bongo, on 30 August 2023 [2].
- The Bongo family, father and then son, held power for almost 56 years [2].
- A first coup in 1964 briefly removed M’ba, but French troops restored him within days [1].
- The current president is Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who led the 2023 coup. He was elected president in April 2025 with 90.35% of the vote [3]. He is still in office in 2026 [4].
All presidents of Gabon at a glance
| # | President | In office | How they left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Léon M’ba | 1960 to 1967 | Died in office [1] |
| 2 | Omar Bongo (Ondimba) | 1967 to 2009 | Died in office [1] |
| 3 | Rose Francine Rogombé (interim) | June to October 2009 | Handed over after an election [1] |
| 4 | Ali Bongo Ondimba | 2009 to 2023 | Overthrown in a military coup [2] |
| 5 | Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema | 2023 to present | Still in office [4] |
1. Léon M’ba (1960 to 1967)
Léon M’ba led Gabon to independence as prime minister in August 1960 [1]. On 12 February 1961, he was elected president with 100% of the vote, and his coalition won every seat in the National Assembly (Parliament) [1].
The 1964 coup: On 17 and 18 February 1964, a group of army officers forced M’ba to resign. An opposition politician, Jean-Hilaire Aubame, was named head of a provisional government [1]. French troops flew in from neighbouring countries, and M’ba was restored to power on 20 February 1964 [1]. Aubame was later sentenced to 10 years in prison [1].
M’ba named Albert-Bernard Bongo, who later took the name Omar Bongo, as his vice-president in November 1966. M’ba was re-elected in March 1967 [1].
How he left office: M’ba died on 28 November 1967 [1], and Bongo succeeded him [5].
2. Omar Bongo (1967 to 2009)
Omar Bongo became president on 2 December 1967 [1]. In March 1968, he declared Gabon a one-party state, where only one political party is allowed [1]. He was re-elected without opposition in 1973 and 1979, and with 99% of the vote in 1986 [1].
In 1990, after protests, he legalised opposition parties and accepted a multiparty constitution [1]. A constitution is a country’s highest set of laws. He went on to win the elections of 1993 (51%), 1998 (about 67%) and 2005 (79%) [1].
Over his long rule, Bongo became known for building a personal fortune from Gabon’s oil wealth [2].
How he left office: Omar Bongo died on 8 June 2009 [1], after nearly 42 years in power [2]. At the time, he was the longest-serving head of state in Africa.
3. Rose Francine Rogombé (interim, 2009)
After Bongo’s death, the Constitutional Court named Rose Francine Rogombé, the president of the Senate, as interim president. She was sworn in on 10 June 2009 [1]. She was the first woman to lead Gabon.
How she left office: She organised a presidential election and handed over to the winner in October 2009 [1].
4. Ali Bongo Ondimba (2009 to 2023)
Ali Bongo, Omar Bongo’s son, won the August 2009 election with 42% of the vote [1]. The results sparked violent protests [1, 5], but the Constitutional Court confirmed his win, and he was sworn in on 16 October 2009 [1].
The disputed 2016 election: Official results gave Ali Bongo 49.8% and his rival Jean Ping 48.2%, a gap of about 5,000 votes [6]. One province reported nearly 100% turnout, with Bongo winning 95% of the vote there [6].
The results triggered unprecedented violence. Protesters set the National Assembly building on fire, and security forces attacked Ping’s headquarters. The authorities said three people died, while the opposition said about thirty were killed [5]. The Constitutional Court upheld Bongo’s win, but the ballots could not be fully recounted because they had been burned after counting [6].
Illness and a failed coup: On 24 October 2018, Ali Bongo had a stroke in Saudi Arabia and spent many months recovering [5]. On 7 January 2019, a group of soldiers attempted a coup, but it failed [5].
How he left office: Gabon held a presidential election on 26 August 2023. On 30 August, the electoral authority announced that Ali Bongo had won a third term with 64.27% of the vote [2]. Within hours, senior military officers seized power. They said the election “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot,” and they placed Ali Bongo under house arrest [2].
5. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (2023 to present)
General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema led the coup that ended Bongo family rule and became leader of the transition [4].
A new constitution: In November 2024, voters approved a new constitution with about 91% support, on a turnout of 71% [7]. It allows a president to serve up to two seven-year terms, removes the post of prime minister and rules out dynastic succession, meaning power passing within one family [7]. It also requires candidates to have a Gabonese spouse, which rules out Ali Bongo, whose wife is French [7].
The 2025 election: On 12 April 2025, Oligui Nguema won the presidential election with 90.35% of the vote, on a turnout of 70.4% [3]. His closest rival, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, received 3.02% [3]. A civil society observation mission found satisfactory conditions at most polling stations it observed [3].
What happened to the Bongos: In May 2025, Ali Bongo, his wife Sylvia and his son Noureddin were freed and flown to Angola [8]. Ali Bongo himself had not been charged [8]. In November 2025, a court in Gabon sentenced Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo in absentia (without them being present) to 20 years in prison for embezzlement (stealing money they were trusted to manage) and other charges. Both deny the charges [9].
In January 2026, Oligui Nguema reshuffled his government and named a vice-president of the republic and a vice-president of the government [4].
Patterns in Gabon’s presidential history
- One family ruled for most of the country’s history. Omar Bongo and his son Ali ruled from 1967 to 2023 [1, 2].
- Long rule ended by death, then by force. The first two presidents died in office, and the third was removed by the army [1, 2].
- France played a key early role. French troops reversed the 1964 coup within days [1].
- Disputed elections were common. The 2009, 2016 and 2023 results were all contested [2, 5, 6].
- The current leader came from the army. Oligui Nguema took power by force before winning an election [3, 4].
Myths vs facts
| Claim | Verdict | What the evidence says |
|---|---|---|
| The 2023 coup was Gabon’s first coup | Myth | A military coup briefly removed Léon M’ba in February 1964, before French troops restored him [1] |
| The Bongo family ruled Gabon for more than half a century | True | Omar and Ali Bongo held power for almost 56 years in total [2] |
| Ali Bongo clearly won the 2023 election | Unproven | He was declared the winner with 64.27%, but the officers who seized power said the vote was not credible, and the result was never independently checked [2] |
| The 2016 result was fully recounted | Myth | The court said ballots could not be fully recounted because they had been burned [6] |
| Ali Bongo was convicted after the coup | Myth | He was not charged. His wife and son were convicted in absentia in 2025 [8, 9] |
| Gabon still has a prime minister | Myth | The 2024 constitution removed the post of prime minister [7] |
| Oligui Nguema won the 2025 election by a large margin | True | He received 90.35% of the vote [3] |
Bottom line
Since independence in 1960, Gabon has had four presidents and one interim leader. The first two died in office, and the Bongo family ruled for almost 56 years, until the army removed Ali Bongo in 2023.
Coup leader Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema introduced a new constitution with term limits and a ban on dynastic succession, then won the 2025 election with 90.35%. Whether these rules lead to Gabon’s first peaceful handover between rivals remains to be seen [3, 7].
Disclaimer: This article is for general education only and does not replace professional historical, legal or political advice. If you notice an error or would like to send feedback or corrections, please contact us.
References
[1] Gabon (1960-present), University of Central Arkansas
[2] A ‘coup’ in Gabon: Who, what and why?, Al Jazeera
[3] Brice Oligui Nguema wins Gabon presidential election with 90.35% of the vote, Africanews
[4] Gabon’s President Nguema starts the year with major government reshuffle, Africanews
[5] 10 critical events in Gabon since independence, Africanews
[6] Gabon: 2016 Election, GlobalSecurity.org
[7] Gabon approves new constitution in referendum restoring civilian government, JURIST
[8] Gabon’s ousted president freed after two years in detention, Premium Times
[9] Ousted Gabon leader’s wife and son sentenced to 20 years for graft, Citizen Digital
