The President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema,
has been re-elected with 94% of the votes, according to official
results.
Mbasogo, 73, is Africa's longest-serving leader and has been ruling the oil-rich nation since he
overthrew his uncle in a 1979 coup d'etat.
Six other candidates
took part in the election held on 24 April, with the opposition alleging
hundreds of their followers were barred from voting.
Nguema's closest challenger, Avelino Mocache Benga, won
1.5% of the votes, according to a statement by the
Equatorial Guinea's Office of Information and Press
"A
period for possible allegations opens now, and on Monday 2nd May, at
15:00, the Constitutional Tribunal will proceed with the validation of
the results and the proclamation of the elected candidate," the statement continued.
Since taking the
mantle of power, Mbasogo has won all the presidential elections,
sometimes as the sole candidate. On at least two occasions, in 2002 and
2009, he won more than 97% of the votes. In 2011, he was appointed as c
hairperson
of the African Union , a position he held for one year.
Although he tried to soften some of his uncle's harsh policies, Mbasogo has been described as one of Africa's worst dictators.
His leadership is considered by observers as corrupt and repressive
while disappearances, torture and extra-judicial executions are widespread.
According to Human Rights Watch, corruption and repression is rampant
in the country, where majority of citizens live in poverty.
Mbasogo , along with other government officials including his son and Guinea's vice-president Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue,
have been accused of mismanaging funds and pillaging state coffers to buy houses and cars in France.
Earlier in January, Mbasogo's government informed France
it wished to enter arbitration to settle the case, which has become know as "Ill Gotten Gains".
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