Voters in Gabon headed to the polls on Saturday for a triple election in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that has ruled for 55 years, is seeking victory over a belatedly unite main rival Albert Ondo Ossa lead a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job in the small oil-rich central African state.
Even before voting stations opened at 7:00 am (0600 GMT), a handful of people were waiting to cast their ballots at five schools in the centre of Libreville — though most of the streets, decked out in the colours of Bongo’s governing party, were still empty, an AFP journalist saw.
The 64-year-old incumbent took office in 2009, succeeding his father Omar, who died after more than 41 years in power.
But shortly ahead of the elections, a storm erupted over a purported conversation between Ondo Ossa and a fellow opposition figure.
The conversation — recorded without the pair’s knowledge and disseminated on social media — refers to various strategies “to create a power struggle” and support from other countries.
Bongo has accused the pair of treason, saying the remarks reflect a plot to take over with the help of “foreign powers”.
At an eve-of-election rally attended by tens of thousands of supporters in Libreville, Bongo charged that the two sought to “destroy this country”.
“We won’t let them to do it,” he said.