Supporters of Denis Sassou Nguesso flooded the streets in celebration as provisional results showed the veteran leader on course to secure a fifth term in office with an overwhelming 94.8% of the vote.
The announcement, made by Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou on national television, also revealed a voter turnout of 84.65%, a figure that has raised eyebrows given earlier predictions of low participation.
If officially confirmed, the victory will extend Sassou Nguesso’s decades-long dominance in Republic of the Congo politics to nearly half a century, further cementing his status as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
While celebrations erupted among his supporters, opposition figures and civil society groups have strongly rejected the outcome, describing the election as deeply flawed and lacking credibility.
First-time presidential candidate Destin Gavet openly condemned the process, citing widespread irregularities and accusing the government of undermining transparency. He also criticized the nationwide internet blackout imposed during the election period, which he argued limited communication and independent monitoring.
Civil society organizations echoed similar concerns. Ivan Ngoy described the election as a significant setback for democracy, while Bertrand Menier dismissed the results as unrealistic, famously branding it “a Nintendo election,” suggesting it was manipulated and disconnected from reality.
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CAPGED’s citizen observation mission reported numerous irregularities across polling units and concluded that the election was “neither fair, nor free, nor transparent.”
Adding to the criticism, academic Etanislas Ngodi characterized the outcome as a “Soviet-style score,” arguing that the president’s long-standing control over state institutions, security forces, and administrative systems heavily influenced the result.
The controversial election outcome is expected to draw scrutiny from the international community, with growing concerns over democratic standards and electoral integrity in the Republic of the Congo.
