In a bold step to solidify his post-electoral mandate, Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has launched a new political formation—the Democratic Union of Builders (UDB).
The unveiling took place on Saturday at the Palais des Sports in Libreville, before an estimated crowd of more than 10,000 supporters, symbolizing a new chapter in Gabon’s political trajectory.
Describing the UDB as an inclusive force for national renewal, Oligui Nguema declared, “The time has come to act.”
He urged citizens to set aside political fractures and join in “building together a reconciled, sovereign Gabon, resolutely turned towards the future.”
The president positioned his new party as a vehicle for unity and accelerated development, invoking themes of shared progress and social harmony.
The party’s launch follows Oligui Nguema’s overwhelming victory in the presidential election held on April 12, 2025. He secured 94.85% of the vote—a result later confirmed by Gabon’s Constitutional Court.
That electoral triumph marked the formal end of a transitional phase that began in August 2023, when the then-commander of the Republican Guard staged a coup that ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, following disputed elections.
His inauguration on May 3, 2025, was a high-profile affair, drawing African dignitaries from Senegal, Rwanda, Ghana, Chad, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.
With his right hand raised and left hand placed on the Constitution, Oligui Nguema vowed to defend the rule of law and national integrity, underscoring his commitment to institutional reform and stability.
Born on March 3, 1975, in Ngouoni, Oligui Nguema is no stranger to the political and military elite.
Trained in Morocco and once aide-de-camp to former President Omar Bongo, he rose to become head of the Republican Guard under Ali Bongo before seizing power in 2023.
Throughout his campaign, he emphasized anti-corruption measures, economic diversification, and technological modernization—with a keen eye on Chinese-backed digital initiatives.
Now, with the UDB as his political platform, Oligui Nguema seeks to entrench his leadership and transform Gabon’s post-coup transition into what he calls “a collective architecture of national rebirth.”
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