Coup In Gabon As Army Removes President Ali Bongo From Power

By Babatunde Solanke

Army officers have appeared on national television in Gabon on Wednesday to announce that they have deposing President Ali Bongo, who was declared winner of Saturday’s election, BBC reports.

Bongo, who came to power after the death of his father in 2009, won a third term in an election which opposition argued was heavily disputed.

The BBC quoted soldiers to have appeared on Gabonese national television in Gabon to say they had taken power.

They said they were annulling the results of Saturday’s election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.

The soldiers who introduced themselves as members of the Committee of Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI ) said, “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the regime in power.”

The electoral commission said Bongo’s main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, had come in second place with 30.77%. Bongo’s team have rejected Ondo Ossa’s allegations of electoral irregularities.

His overthrow would end his family’s 53-year hold on power in Gabon.

The development comes amid the move to resolve the removal of a democratically elected president in Niger Republic.

Both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU), which have rejected the coup in Niger, are yet to react to the situation in Gabon as of the time of filing this report as developments are still unfolding.

Details later…