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Head of caretaker government and leader of 2023 coup wins presidential race, according to provisional results.

Gabon’s military leader Brice Oligui Nguema has won the country’s presidential election, according to provisional results.

Initial results announced on Sunday showed Nguema, who led a 2023 military coup, had secured nearly 80 percent of the vote.

Based on 90.35 percent of ballots counted, his closest rival, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze had some 3 percent of the vote and six other candidates failed to win more than 1 percent, the Interior Ministry said.

Nguema, who had been instrumental in ending 55 years of iron-fisted dynastic rule of the Bongo family led by former leader Ali Bongo, was widely expected to win Saturday’s election.

On election day, Bilie-By-Nze had warned about “potential” problems during the counting, but Nguema said the electoral process was “transparent”.

More details soon.