Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema announced on Sunday, June 22, that he will officially unveil his new political party at a major gathering scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at the Palais des Sports in Libreville.
Nguema, who secured a decisive victory as an independent candidate in the April 12 presidential election, shared the news in a video message. Standing beneath a tree and flanked by a group of supporters, the president extended an invitation to citizens to attend the party’s inaugural assembly. The name of the new party has not yet been made public.
“The trust you placed in me through your votes now calls for the formation of a political structure that can unify the nation’s positive forces,” Nguema stated. “It is with great honor that I invite you to the general assembly of our movement on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 10 a.m.”
His announcement arrives just over two months after assuming office and signals a shift from his previous nonpartisan stance to a more traditional political framework. The president, a former general, has transitioned from military attire to formal political dress, underscoring his move into conventional political leadership.
Reactions to the move have been mixed. Jean-Rémy Yama, a prominent opposition leader, acknowledged Nguema’s right to form a party but questioned the necessity of doing so. “This initiative wasn’t essential, given that the Constitution already grants full authority to the president,” he said. “He doesn’t even require a parliamentary majority. It looks like the birth of a second PDG, and I fear the same flaws that plagued the PDG will reappear in this new party.”
The timing of the president’s declaration also follows the National Assembly’s recent adoption of a bill aimed at consolidating Gabon’s fragmented political landscape. On June 17, lawmakers passed legislation to reduce the number of political parties from 103 to just three or four, in line with proposals made during the national dialogue held in April.