View source for President of Gabon

{{Short description|Head of state of Gabon}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                    = President
| body                    = the<br/>Gabonese Republic
| native_name             = ''{{lang|fr|Président de la<br>République gabonaise}}''
| insignia                = 
| insigniasize            = 
| insigniacaption         = 
| flag                    = Flag of the President of Gabon.svg
| flagsize                = 125px
| flagborder              = yes
| flagcaption             = Presidential standard
| image                   = Brice Oligui Nguema in 2024 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize               = 165px
| alt                     = 
| incumbent               = [[Brice Oligui Nguema]]<br>([[Provisional government|Transitional]])
| acting                  = no
| incumbentsince          = 30 August 2023
| department              = [[Politics of Gabon#Executive branch|Executive branch of the Government of the Gabonese Republic]]
| style                   = 
| type                    = 
| status                  = 
| abbreviation            = 
| member_of               = 
| reports_to              = 
| residence               = [[Palais du bord de mer|Presidential Palace]], [[Libreville]]
| seat                    = 
| nominator               = 
| appointer               = 
| appointer_qualified     = 
| termlength              = 5 years, renewable once<ref>{{cite web |title=Gabon: Presidential term reduced from seven to five years |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/04/07/gabon-presidential-term-reduced-from-seven-to-five-years/ |website=AfricaNews |access-date=15 October 2024}}</ref>
| termlength_qualified    = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor               = 
| formation               = {{start date and age|1960|8|17|df=y}}
| first                   = [[Léon M'ba]]
| last                    = 
| abolished               = 
| succession              = 
| unofficial_names        = 
| deputy                  = [[Vice President of Gabon]]
| salary                  = US$65,000 annually<ref name="africaranking.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.africaranking.com/highest-paid-african-presidents/|title=Top 15 Highest Paid African Presidents 2017|date=15 December 2016}}</ref>
| website                 = 
}}
{{Politics of Gabon}}

The '''president of Gabon''' ({{langx|fr|Président du Gabon}}) is the [[head of state]] of [[Gabon]]. A total of three people have served as president (not counting two acting presidents) since the post was formed in 1960.

The current transitional president, [[Brice Oligui Nguema]], took power in a [[2023 Gabonese coup d'état|coup on 30 August 2023]] from [[Ali Bongo]].

==Description of the office==

===Election===
The president of the republic is elected for a presidential term of five (5) years, by universal and direct suffrage as per the 2023 Constitution amendement.<ref>https://www.africanews.com/2023/04/07/gabon-presidential-term-reduced-from-seven-to-five-years//</ref> The president is renewable.<ref name=Art9>Article 9 of the Constitution of 1991.</ref> There was a two-term limit for the president in the [[Constitution of Gabon]]. This limit was lifted for [[Omar Bongo]] in 2003.<ref name="termlimits">{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Candace |last2=Siegle |first2=Joseph |title=Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa |url=https://africacenter.org/spotlight/circumvention-of-term-limits-weakens-governance-in-africa/ |website=Africa Center for Strategic Studies}}</ref> 

The election is won by the candidate who obtains the largest number of votes.<ref name=Art9 />

All Gabonese citizens, male and female, who are at least forty (40) years old, have resided in Gabon for at least twelve (12) months, and who enjoy their full civil and political rights are eligible to run for the seat of the presidency.<ref name=Art10>Article 10 of the Constitution of 1991.</ref>

The Constitutional Court may extend the provisioned time periods conforming to Article 11 below, but the elections may not take place more than thirty-five (35) days after the date of the decision of the Constitutional Court.<ref name=Art10 />

If an application of the policies in the present paragraphs postpones the election to a date beyond the last day in office of the current president, the president will remain in office until the election of the successor.<ref name=Art10 />

The ways and means by which the present article may be applied are fixed by organic law.<ref name=Art10 />

The presidential term begins on the day he presents himself for the presidential oath and finishes at the end of the seventh year following his election.<ref name=Art11>Article 11 of the Constitution of 1991.</ref>

The election of the president of the republic takes place at least a month and at most two months before the end of the previous president's term.<ref name=Art11 />

A current president may not shorten his or her term in any manner to run for another term.<ref name=Art11 />

If the current president of the republic runs for the next presidential term, the [[National Assembly of Gabon]] may not be dissolved. The president may also not exercise his power to legislate by ordinance from the moment he announces his candidacy up to the election. In cases of necessity, Parliament may convene in an extraordinary session.<ref name=Art11 />

===Oath of office===
The presidential oath marks the beginning of the presidential term. It may not take place before the Constitutional Court's decision to proclaim the official election results.<ref name=Art11A>Article 11A of the Constitution of 1991.</ref>

At the moment of the president's entry into office, the president of the republic will solemnly take the oath below, before the Parliament and the Constitutional Court, the left hand on the Constitution, and the other hand raised before the national flag:<ref name=Art12>Article 12 of the Constitution of 1991.</ref>

{{blockquote|I promise to devote all my energies to the good of the Gabonese people, to assure their well-being and to protect them from all misfortune, to respect and defend the Constitution and the State of law, to fulfill conscientiously the duties of my position and to be just to all.}}

===Vacancy===
In case of a vacancy of the presidential office for whatever reason, or a permanent impairment of the current president, affirmed by the Constitutional Court called upon by the government through an absolute majority of its members, or failing that, by the bureaus of the two chambers of Parliament with a majority of their members, the president of the Senate will temporarily exercise the duties of the president of the republic, or in case of permanent impairment of the president of the Senate, affirmed by the Constitutional Court called upon in the same conditions, the first vice-president of the Senate will temporarily carry out the duties of the presidential office.<ref name=Art13>Article 13 of the Constitution of 1991.</ref>

The authority that assumes the presidential office in the interim will be temporarily invested with the full duties and powers of the president of the republic, to the exclusion of certain duties and powers provisioned by Articles 18, 19, and the first paragraph of 116. The temporary president may not present him or herself as a candidate of the next presidential election.<ref name=Art13 />

Before his or her entry into office, the authority concerned will take the oath of office according to the conditions of Article 12 above.<ref name=Art13 />

In the case of a vacancy, or if the president's impairment is declared permanent by the Constitutional Court, the polls for the election of the new president, excluding cases of emergency announced by the Constitutional Court, will take place at least thirty (30) days or at most sixty (60) days after the beginning of the vacancy or the declaration of a permanent impairment of the president.<ref name=Art13 />

==List of officeholders==
;Political parties
{{legend|{{party color|Gabonese Democratic Party}}|[[Gabonese Democratic Party|Gabonese Democratic Bloc (BDG) → Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG)]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Democratic and Republican Alliance}}|[[Democratic and Republican Alliance]] (ADERE)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Other factions
{{legend|{{party color|Military rule}}|[[Armed Forces of Gabon|Military]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Status
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting or transitional president}}

;Symbols
{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
! rowspan="2" |[[Prime Minister of Gabon|Prime minister(s)]]
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Gabonese Democratic Party}}; color:white;"| 1
| [[File:Léon M'ba 1964.jpg|90px]]
| [[Léon M'ba]]<br />{{small|(1902–1967)}}{{efn|Briefly interrupted during the [[1964 Gabonese coup d'état|17–18 February 1964 coup d'état]].}}
| [[1961 Gabonese general election|1961]]<br />[[1967 Gabonese general election|1967]]
| {{nowrap|17 August}} 1960
| {{nowrap|27 November}} 1967{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| {{ayd|1960|08|17|1967|11|27}}
| [[Gabonese Democratic Party|BDG]]
| Himself
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Gabonese Democratic Party}}; color:white;"| 2
| [[File:Omar Bongo 1973.jpg|90px]]
| [[Omar Bongo]]<br />{{small|(1935–[[Death and state funeral of Omar Bongo|2009]])}}{{efn|Previously named Albert-Bernard Bongo; changed name on 29 September 1973, after [[conversion to Islam]]. Added Ondimba to name on 15 November 2003.}}
| [[1973 Gabonese general election|1973]]<br />[[1979 Gabonese presidential election|1979]]<br />[[1986 Gabonese presidential election|1986]]<br />[[1993 Gabonese presidential election|1993]]<br />[[1998 Gabonese presidential election|1998]]<br />[[2005 Gabonese presidential election|2005]]
| {{nowrap|2 December}} 1967
| {{nowrap|8 June}} 2009{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| {{ayd|1967|12|02|2009|06|08}}
| [[Gabonese Democratic Party|BDG]]<br />{{small|until 1968 renamed to}}<br />[[Gabonese Democratic Party|PDG]]
| [[Léon Mébiame|Mébiame]]<br />[[Casimir Oyé-Mba|Oyé-Mba]]<br />[[Paulin Obame-Nguema|Obame-Nguema]]<br />[[Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane|Ntoutoume Emane]]<br />[[Jean Eyeghé Ndong|Eyeghe Ndong]]
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| style="background:{{party color|Democratic and Republican Alliance}}; color:white;"| —
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge]]<br />{{small|(born 1946)}}{{efn|Acted for Bongo while he was incapacitated in the hospital, [[Vice President of Gabon|Vice President]].}}
| —
| {{nowrap|6 May}} 2009
| {{nowrap|10 June}} 2009
| {{ayd|2009|05|06|2009|06|10}}
| [[Democratic and Republican Alliance|ADERE]]
| Eyeghe Ndong
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| style="background:{{party color|Gabonese Democratic Party}}; color:white;"| —
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[Rose Francine Rogombé]]<br />{{small|(1942–2015)}}{{efn|Succeeded Bongo as the constitutional successor, [[List of presidents of the Senate of Gabon|President of the Senate]].}}
| —
| {{nowrap|10 June}} 2009
| {{nowrap|16 October}} 2009
| {{ayd|2009|06|10|2009|10|16}}
| [[Gabonese Democratic Party|PDG]]
| Eyeghe Ndong<br>[[Paul Biyoghé Mba|Biyoghé Mba]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Gabonese Democratic Party}}; color:white;"| 3
| [[File:President Bongo Ondimba (52054341321) (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[Ali Bongo]]<br />{{small|(born 1959)}}{{efn|Son of Omar Bongo.}}
| [[2009 Gabonese presidential election|2009]]<br />[[2016 Gabonese presidential election|2016]]<br />[[2023 Gabonese general election|2023]]
| {{nowrap|16 October}} 2009
| {{nowrap|30 August}} 2023<br />{{small|([[2023 Gabonese coup d'état|Deposed in a coup]])}}
| {{ayd|2009|10|16|2023|08|30}}
| [[Gabonese Democratic Party|PDG]]
| Biyoghé Mba<br />[[Raymond Ndong Sima|Ndong Sima]]<br />[[Daniel Ona Ondo|Ona Ondo]]<br />[[Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet|Issoze-Ngondet]]<br />[[Julien Nkoghe Bekale|Nkoghe Bekale]]<br />[[Rose Christiane Raponda|Raponda]]<br />[[Alain Claude Bilie By Nze|By Nze]]
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;"| —
| [[File:Brice Oligui Nguema in 2024 (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[Brice Oligui Nguema]]<br />{{small|(born 1975)}}
| —
| {{nowrap|30 August}} 2023<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66654965 |title=Gabon coup: Army seizes power from Ali Bongo and puts him in house arrest |date=30 August 2023 |work=bbc.com |access-date=30 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=General Nguema appointed transitional president of Gabon following coup |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/general-nguema-appointed-transitional-president-of-gabon-following-coup/2979600 |access-date=31 August 2023 |work=[[Anadolu Agency]] |date=30 August 2023 |location=[[Kigali, Rwanda]]}}</ref>
| Incumbent
| {{ayd|2023|08|30}}
| [[Armed Forces of Gabon|Military]]
| [[Raymond Ndong Sima|Ndong Sima]]
|}

== Timeline ==
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:80 right:150 left:20
AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

Colors =
  id:independent value:rgb(0.710,0.710,0.710) legend:None_(Independent)
  id:military    value:rgb(0.76,0.69,0.57)    legend:Military
  id:bdg         value:rgb(0,0.4,0.2)         legend:Gabonese_Democratic_Bloc
  id:pdg         value:rgb(0.06,0.59,0.22)    legend:Gabonese_Democratic_Party
  id:udsg        value:rgb(1,0,0)             legend:Gabonese_Democratic_and_Social_Union
  id:adere       value:rgb(0.25,0.43,0.71)    legend:Democratic_and_Republican_Alliance

  id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
  id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1960 till:31/12/{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}}
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1960
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1960

Legend     = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170
 
TextData =
  pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political party:"

BarData =
 bar:M'ba
 bar:Aubame
 bar:OmarBongo
 bar:DiNdinge
 bar:Rogombe
 bar:AliBongo
 bar:Oligui

PlotData =
  width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:M'ba
  from: 17/08/1960 till: 17/02/1964 color:bdg
  from: 18/02/1964 till: 27/11/1967 color:bdg      text:"[[Léon M'ba]]"
 bar:Aubame
  from: 17/02/1964 till: 18/02/1964 color:udsg     text:"[[Jean-Hilaire Aubame]] (coup)"
 bar:OmarBongo
  from: 27/11/1967 till: 12/03/1968 color:bdg
  from: 12/03/1968 till: 08/06/2009 color:pdg      text:"[[Omar Bongo]]"
 bar:DiNdinge
  from: 06/05/2009 till: 10/06/2009 color:adere    text:"[[Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge]] (acting)"
 bar:Rogombe
  from: 10/06/2009 till: 16/10/2009 color:pdg      text:"[[Rose Francine Rogombé]] (acting)"
 bar:AliBongo
  from: 16/10/2009 till: 30/08/2023 color:pdg      text:"[[Ali Bongo]]"
 bar:Oligui
  from: 30/08/2023 till: $today     color:military text:"[[Brice Oligui Nguema]]"

}}

==Latest election (annulled)==
{{main|2023 Gabonese presidential election}}
{{Election results
|cand1=[[Ali Bongo Ondimba]]|party1=[[Gabonese Democratic Party]]|votes1=293919
|cand2=[[Albert Ondo Ossa]]|party2=[[Alternance 2023]]|votes2=140690|color2=#1B0173
|cand3=[[Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou|Pierre Claver Moussavou]]|party3=[[Social Democratic Party (Gabon)|Social Democratic Party]]|votes3=5178
|cand4=[[Gervais Oniane]]|party4=[[Union for the Republic (Gabon)|Union for the Republic]]|votes4=3639|color4=#212CDE
|cand5=Victoire Lasseni Duboze|party5=Independent|votes5=2198
|cand6=Emmanuel Mvé Mba|party6=Independent|votes6=1412
|cand7=Jean Romain Fanguinoveny|party7=[[Party of the Gabonese People]]|votes7=1272|color7=#006A7A
|cand8=Jean Delors Biyogué Bi Ntougou|party8=Independent|votes8=1266
|cand9=Gérard Ella Nguéma|party9=[[Gabonese Patriotic Front]]|votes9=1239|color9=#7DB82C
|cand10=Axel Stophène Ibinga Ibinga|party10=Independent|votes10=1124
|cand11=Abel Mbombe Nzoundou|party11=Independent|votes11=1057
|cand12=Jean Victor Mouanga Mbadinga|party12=[[People's Social Emancipation Movement]]|votes12=1034|color12=#D83324
|cand13=Joachim Mbatchi Pambou|party13=[[Union of Forces for Change (Gabon)|UFC]]|votes13=967|color13=#3D73B9
|cand14=Thierry Yvon Michel N'goma|party14=Independent|votes14=825
|row15=Other candidates|votes15=1468
|invalid=22364
|electorate=846822
|source=[https://www.gabonreview.com/gabon-ali-bongo-officiellement-reelu-des-militaires-prennent-le-pouvoir/ Gabon Review]
}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==See also==
* [[First Lady of Gabon]]
* [[Vice President of Gabon]]
* [[Prime Minister of Gabon]]
* [[List of colonial governors of Gabon]]
* [[Politics of Gabon]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.presidence-gabon.ga}} {{in lang|fr}}
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Gabon.html World Statesmen – Gabon]
* [https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Gabon_2011?lang=en 1991 Constitution of Gabon (as amended in 2011)] {{In lang|en}}

{{Presidents of Gabon}}
{{Gabon topics}}
{{Heads of state and government of Africa}}

[[Category:Presidents of Gabon| ]]
[[Category:Lists of national presidents|Gabon]]
[[Category:Gabon politics-related lists|Presidents]]
[[Category:Gabon history-related lists|Presidents]]
[[Category:1960 establishments in Gabon]]