Coup: Military takes over power in Gabon, says election is fraudulent

By Samuel Ogunsona

Another military coup has struck central Africa country

The Gabonese Army appeared on National television in the early hours of Wednesday to say they have seized power from the government.

They cancelled the last election held on Saturday saying it lacked credibility.

The announcement came in on Wednesday morning on TV channel Gabon 24 monitored by Irohinoodua.

It came after the recent election conducted last Saturday in a country ruled by one family since independence.

Shortly after the announcement of the election results, loud gunfire was reported across the Gabonese capital Libreville in the early hours of Wednesday.

A group of 12 senior military officers mount the national television to say they have seized power because the elections held last weekend lacked credibility.

This is coming amidst the coup in Niger which has drawn the ire of Economic Community of West African States,(ECOWAS) the regional body of some of the the World’s poorest countries.

Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu is the Chairman of ECOWAS.

“We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon’s commitments to the national and international community,” the military said in Gabon.

“In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,”
the group said

The Gabonese President, Ali Bongo, who was declared winner of the general election took over power from his father , Omar Bongo, in 2009.

However, Omar Bongo who was president of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009 appointed his son as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1989 to 1991.

Recall, only total of three people have served as president (not counting two acting presidents) since Gabon gained her independent in 1960.

The Gabonese Election Centre (CGE) announced that Mr Bongo secured just under two-thirds of votes cast.

Gabon, a country rich in mineral resources remains poor. The citizens hardly can afford food twice daily while the resources of the country turn the pockets of their greedy leaders billionaires.
Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west. It has an area of nearly 270,000 square kilometres (100,000 sq mi) and its population is estimated at 2.3 million people.