The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been in office for over 14 years, declared on Sunday that he would run for re-election on August 26.
As of right now, Mr. Bongo is the undisputed front-runner in the presidential race since the opposition has been unable to coalesce into a single party and more than 20 individuals have already declared their desire to challenge the outgoing president.
I am officially announcing today that I am a candidate for the presidential election
President Ali Bongo
Upon the passing of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had controlled the nation for more than 41 years, the 64-year-old head of state was initially chosen in 2009 and barely re-elected in 2016.
His all-powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which has a lopsided majority in parliament and is the clear favourite in the legislative and municipal elections that will be held on the same day as the presidential election, August 26, must approve his candidature at a special congress that is scheduled for Monday.
As the PDG has been pleading with Mr. Bongo to run for a third term for more than a year, his formal investiture by the party on Monday will be a formality.
The deadline for formalpresidential nominations is Tuesday.
