4 hours wey don pass

Di pipo of Gabon dey vote on 12 April to choose dia president; di first election for di kontri since di coup wey remove Ali Bongo, di kontri longest serving president wey im family rule for 56 years.

Among di five west and Central African kontris wey experience coup since 2020, Gabon na di only one wey dey return to civilian rule or maintain close relations wit dia former colonial power, France.

Ali Bongo bin go exile afta dat coup for 2023, and general Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema take ova.

At di time many pipo bin tok say di general na di "man of di pipo" afta many years of di Bongo dynasty.

Around 860,000 registered voters dey expected to vote for dis election wey dey happun 19 months afta di coup.

Di military goment bin promise to restore civilian rule.

For 2024, Gabon bin adopt fresh constitution wey 92% of di pipo approve for referendum.

Di new electoral code also dey allow military pipo to run for office as president, na so di transition president General Nguema bin dey stand.

23 pipo bin apply to contest di election and dem write to di national commission wey dey organize and coordinate di election and referendum.

But on 27 March, di Gabon constitutional court bin validate only 8 candidates.

Who be di top candidates?

Di current president of di transition na di favourite to win di election, according to sabi pipo for di kontri.

Di 50-year-old soldier already bin dey predict say im go win di election.

Just five years ago, di pipo of Gabon no tink say im fit to dey stand for election to lead di kontri; especially afta im spend 10 years outside di kontri wen dem sack am from di inner circle of di Bongo family.

For 2020, one investigation by US anti corruption group OCCRP tok say Oligui Nguema and di Bongo family don buy expensive property for di US wit plenty cash.

Di report tok say di general don spend $1m to buy three properties, but im tok say "weda for France or di US, private life na private, make pipo respect dat".

Oligui don unite di army.

If dem vote am as president, im tok say im go change di economy, make goment efficient and bring ogbonge laws wey go make Gabon pipo wey don dey live abroad, to return to di kontri.

Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze na former prime minister for di kontri.

Bifor, im be member of di Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) wia im be loyal supporter of di former president Ali Bongo.

Afta im comot di PDG, Bilie-By-Nze form new movement wey dem call "Awu-Mawu" wey mean "Dare to hope" for English .

Im tok say di movement na "bold and unifying political alternative for anoda Gabon", afta im fire di transitional goment wia general Oligui bin dey lead afta di 2023 coup to remove Ali Bongo.

Bilie By Nze tok say di transition goment "no get any real project; no vision for di kontri."

Ahead of di election, im kontinu to fire di transition goment say "Gabonese democracy dey in danger."

"We gatz fight to end dis system and send di military back to dia barracks," im tell Reuters.

Di 57-year-old say im dey confident to win di election afta im move across di kontri to dey campaign.

"We bin tok wit many pipo, we don carry our message to dem, evribodi dey want change, dis na wetin we dey fight for," Bilie-By-Nze bin write on top im social media afta dia last rounds on 9 April.

Zènaba Chaning Gninga na di only female candidate for dis election.

She be di youngest among di eight candidates. She be entrepreneur wit plenty business for real estate, beauty and event sector.

Di 36-year-old for her campaign bin tell pipo say to win di election "na rupture wey go bring solution to youth unemployment for Gabon".

"Time don reach to change direction, we need new blood, new pesin wey dey love di pipo."

Zènaba tok say "my first priority if I win di election na to create jobs for di pipo across di kontri."

Oga Axel na entrepreneur wey dey head one investment for Ax capital investment for Gabon.

Di 44-year-old na candidate of di 2023 elections wey dem cancel wia im tok say Gabon neva progress since di coup.

Im pledge say im go promote "entrepreneurial spirit to focus on jobs and to develop di kontri," im tok during im campaigns.

Oga Axel tok say im go "build society wey base on responsible management of resources, no debts, no loans, only bold choices wit budget wey focus on di real priorities of di Gabon pipo".

Im also tok say im go focus on health, education, infrastructure, employment and social issues.

Oga Stèphane na 63-year-old doctor and di former tok-tok pesin for di Gabonese Democratic Party.

Im comot di party afta di coup for 2023 wia im set up di "Together for Gabon" movement wit fellow candidate Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze.

Afta im choose to stand alone for dis elections, Stèphane say im go "throw out" di constitution wey di transition goment don produce.

Oga Thierry na entrepreneur wey don dey stand for dis election afta dem cancel di 2023 election.

Im be 46 years. Im don campaign make Gabon comot di CFA Franc currency and also promise to make many tins free for di kontri like healthcare, water, electricity and odas.

Afta im serve for many post for Ali Bongo Gabonese Democratic Party, di civil engineer dey try to stand as candidate for di election.

Im tok say if dem vote for im to become president, im go bring plenty change for di politics of Gabon.

Wetin im dey promise na economic development wey im say im "go restore di democratic values of Gabon".

Di man wey dem appoint as secretary for di Gabonese ministry of industry for February 2024 say im dey concerned about improving di living condition of di Gabonese pipo.

Oga Essigone na lawyer and tax expert for Gabon.

Im be 53 years and im dey present imsef as di pesin to rescue Gabon. E say im go unite di pipo of Gabon.