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Gabon’s main opposition claimed the coup a family revolution: power still with the Bongo family

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(4 minutes read)

Gabon’s main opposition leader has claimed things have not changed much, after the military coup. It may be recalled that soldiers seized power just hours after now-ousted President Ali Bongo was announced as the winner of the presidential poll

Gabon’s main opposition leader has claimed things have not changed much, after the military coup. It may be recalled that soldiers seized power just hours after now-ousted President Ali Bongo was announced as the winner of the presidential poll.

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The opposition accused him of rigging the results of last weekend’s elections so that he could have a third term in office. Bongo’s family has ruled the country for close to 60 years. The next day, the military announced that General Brice Oligui Nguema would be sworn in as “President of the Transition” on Monday.

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In a TV interview, Albert Ondo Ossa described the coup as a “family affair” and a “palace revolution” aimed at keeping them in power. Oligui Nguema is Ali Bongo’s cousin. The 60-year campaign of Bongo is too much. The Bongos have decided to put Ali Bongo aside and continue their system by putting in place a Bongo CEO system, the opposition leader claimed,  days after the military seized power putting Bongo under house arrest, accusing him of irresponsible governance that risked leading the oil-rich country into chaos.

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Ondo Ossa lost the presidential election to Bongo by more than 30 percentage points, following an electoral process that was widely seen as lacking in transparency. Earlier, the opposition had thanked the army for having stood up against what it described as “an electoral coup”, and urged the military to complete the counting of ballots, as reported by www.trendsnafrica.com.

In the meantime, General Brice Oligui Nguema, Gabon’s new strongman has threatened contractors involved in corruption, which is endemic in this country.  He demanded that they show patriotism and commitment to the development of the country.

Recent audits have shown that companies have overcharged the goods and the services they supplied to government sources. He assured that he would revisit such bills and the overcharging amount reverted to the State while addressing some 200 business leaders summoned for a meeting with him. The television channels were also showing images of the deposed president’s sons and other relatives in front of trunks, suitcases, and bags filled with billions of CFA francs that had apparently been seized from their homes.