Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo led Equatorial Guinea for over four decades, winning the presidential election held on November 20 with a commanding share of the vote. The National Election Board published the latest figures this Saturday, confirming his victory and the start of another seven-year term.
At eighty years old, Obiang remains the world’s longest-serving president. Running as the candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), which allied with fourteen political groups, he secured 405,910 votes from 411,081 valid ballots cast.
seven-year period
With these totals, the National Electoral Board declared Obiang the officially elected president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Faustino Ndong Esono Ayang, minister of the interior and chair of the electoral commission, spoke from his ministry’s headquarters in Malabo. The country has seen only two presidents since independence from Spain in 1968: Obiang and his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema, who was toppled in 1979.
In second place was Andrés Esono, general secretary of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS), the principal opposition party, who garnered 9,684 votes.
100 deputies
In third place was Buenaventura Monsuy Asumu, leader of the Social Democratic Coalition Party (PCSD), with 2,855 votes. Equatorial Guinea also elected 100 deputies to the House of Representatives and 55 of the 70 Senate seats, along with municipal representatives nationwide.
The PDGE won all 100 seats in the House of Representatives and 55 seats in the Senate, with 588 seats in the House unrepresented by CPDS and PCSD in these elections.
Constitutional Court
The final results were slated for approval by the Constitutional Court, with the interior minister reporting a voter turnout of 98 percent. He noted that 413,148 of 419,807 registered voters cast ballots in 1,533 polling stations, producing 411,081 valid votes after invalid ballots and blanks were excluded.
Equatorial Guinea, a small central African nation with roughly 1.5 million inhabitants, is notable for being the only Spanish-speaking country in sub-Saharan Africa. Last Sunday’s presidential elections, originally scheduled for 2023, were postponed to save costs and coincide with legislative and municipal elections.
irregularity complaints
The day of the vote appeared calm, yet rival candidates raised concerns about irregularities. Esono, aged 61, alleged broad-scale fraud greater than in prior elections. Monsuy Asumu, aged 69, echoed concerns about serious irregularities. The African Union later issued a preliminary report affirming that the elections met international standards and did not detect concrete irregularities.
Historically Obiang has won with more than 90 percent of the vote, though international reaction to past results has often been skeptical.
infrastructures
Under Obiang, the country has pursued massive infrastructure projects funded by oil wealth, which remains the main source of state revenue. Critics say the benefits of crude oil largely accrue to Obiang and his relatives, while many citizens live in poverty. Human rights organizations have long accused the government of repression.
The elections followed an attack on the Malabo headquarters of the opposition Ciudadanos por la Innovación (CI) by security forces on September 29 after a five-day siege.
arrests
CI leader Gabriel Nsé Obiang was detained along with about 275 supporters in an operation that authorities say resulted in at least four civilian deaths. Transparency International has repeatedly cited the country as one of the most corrupt in the world. A representative from EG Justice criticized the government as prioritizing theft and power over democratic processes.
legal issues
Teodoro Nguema Obiang, nicknamed Teodorín and known for a luxurious lifestyle, has faced judicial proceedings in France, the United States, and Switzerland on corruption charges. Despite legal cases abroad, he remains a central figure in state defense and security and is seen by some as a potential successor to his father in the future.