Article: Oligui Nguema's two-faced transition: the promise of rupture, in the continuity of the old regime
Oligui Nguema's two-faced transition: the promise of rupture, in the continuity of the old regime
Numerous testimonies collected by our editorial staff at Gabon2025 as well as heated discussions on social networks reveal a question that continues to haunt public opinion: is the political transition led by Brice Oligui Nguema a real turning point, or simply a reinvention of the past in new guise? Despite promises of change, the controversial alliances and choices of the new power raise deep doubts about the sincerity of this "break".
So, after Mborantsuo, the CEO, Linda Bongo, each of whose prohibitions was dissected by the power in place, it is time to ask the question: Who really governs Gabon?
— Aristide Nguema (@Zoltsi1) October 20, 2024
Mr Oligui, President of the transition, can you answer this question?
However, the majority have asked that the CEO no longer exist, right? Proposal NOT RETAINED by Oligui.
— John LIBRE 🇬🇦🇨🇵💥🎯🎤 (@Cosa76) October 17, 2024
Saying one thing and its opposite...it's really incomprehensible #Gabon pic.twitter.com/lJ0vgTQY3o
Speaking of Mrs. Pasteure, a CEO in Oligui's pocket, he must be a CEO who pleases him. https://t.co/wH4g1L4wur
— Lord of Nkoltang (@Observateurfang) October 15, 2024
Yes, it is not his multiple inconsistencies and his connections with the CEO and his methods that weaken his popularity, it is "occult forces" yes.
— TTW (@Pablerk) October 31, 2024
Poor Oliggui, victim of the forces of evil
GABON NEWS
— OTHMAN IBELA (@motherland354) November 4, 2024
OLIGUI LED BY CEO AND PASCALINE BONGO STILL MANIPULATES THE GABONESE!! https://t.co/Q0C2QjVzSY via @YouTube
Promises of renewal: the illusion of a rupture?
The popular enthusiasm initially sparked by the August 2023 coup is crumbling in the face of a more nuanced reality. Oligui Nguema, by presenting himself as the savior of a Gabon plagued by decades of corruption, had promised a total break with the Bongo legacy. But today, emblematic figures of the fallen regime continue to weigh on the choices of the transitional power.
Among these personalities, Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo, a former ally of the Bongos, is at the head of the drafting of the new constitution. An appointment that, for many Gabonese , betrays the ideals of renewal proclaimed by Oligui Nguema. What can we expect from a founding text drawn up under the supervision of the woman who was for decades the legal pillar of the Bongo "monarchy"? Social networks are ablaze , and acerbic comments are pouring in: is the transition a revolution or a simple "palace revolution"?
CEO back in the spotlight
Another notable fact that is causing an outcry, and in line with the recycling of old leaders, is the unexpected alliance between the new government and the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), long a symbol of corruption and abuse of power under the Bongos. While he advocated a radical break, Oligui Nguema now seems to depend on this controversial party, which did not hesitate to urge its members to support the draft constitution. This support, which goes against the grain of promises of change, is seen as a sign of a step backwards and is provoking strong reactions: how could a party emblematic of the past embody the future of Gabon? Many of you are talking to us about it, and we confess: we do not have the answer.
A paradox that weakens the credibility of the transition
For the Gabonese, this transition poses a conundrum: are the old figures of the regime there by necessity or by choice? The hypothesis of a "facade" reform, where the appearance of change actually hides the continuity of the interests of a privileged few, is gaining ground. Through these alliances, Oligui Nguema gives the image of a power trapped between promises of rupture and concessions to the past, in a permanent gap.
