Announcing the result in the early hours, CGE head Michel Stephane Bonda said Bongo's main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, had come in second place with 30.77%. 

Bongo's team have rejected Ondo Ossa's allegations of electoral irregularities.

Tensions are running high amid fears of unrest after Saturday's presidential , parliamentary, and legislative vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family's 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil-rich but poverty-stricken Central African nation.

A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities' decision to cut internet service and impose a nighttime curfew nationwide after the poll has raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.

Source: France 24

BDST: 1047 HRS, AUG 30, 2023
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