Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, who rose to power after ousting the Bongo dynasty in a 2023 military coup, has officially launched a new political party aimed at reshaping the country’s political landscape.
The new party, Democratic Union of Builders (UDB), was unveiled on Saturday during its inaugural congress, which drew thousands of supporters, including prominent figures from the former Bongo-led administration.
According to a statement released by the UDB, the party aims to “rebuild the Gabonese social contract” and chart a new course following Nguema’s landslide election victory in April, where he secured nearly 95% of the vote.
“Its motto — Inclusion, Development, Happiness — conveys a simple ambition: to unite, transform, and elevate Gabon,” the statement read.
Nguema, a former general and head of the presidential guard, led the August 2023 coup that toppled Ali Bongo Ondimba, ending 56 years of Bongo family rule that began with his father, Omar Bongo, in 1967.
Despite the wide margin of Nguema’s April electoral victory, international observers reported no significant irregularities.
In his address at the congress, Nguema emphasized his desire to break from the past political culture, criticizing the way Gabonese leaders were previously controlled by their parties.
“The country went through 50 years of politics where leaders were instrumentalized by their political party,” Nguema said.
“I don’t want to indoctrinate anyone. I don’t want to create a party that instrumentalizes elections.”
He pledged that the UDB would implement primary elections to select its candidates, marking a shift from the top-down approach long associated with Gabon’s former ruling party, the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG).
Nguema’s emergence as a civilian president and the formation of his political party signal a new phase in Gabon’s post-Bongo political era, though many observers remain watchful of how democratic reforms will unfold under his leadership.
