T he Gabonese Minister of the Interior, Adrien Nguema Mba, has issued a firm reminder to all candidates for the 2025 elections regarding the mandatory compliance with financial transparency rules.

This injunction is part of a progressive tightening of campaign account oversight and aims to curb dark money and the misuse of public or private resources. The legal framework is now stricter: this call to order is based on Organic Law No. 001/2025 of January 19, 2025, which governs the financing of political life and election campaigns in Gabon.

Articles 109, 206, 368, and 369 require each candidate to submit a detailed campaign account, including all funding sources and receipts for all expenses incurred during the election propaganda period. This is a practical requirement for transparency: specifically, candidates must submit their accounts to the Court of Auditors or the relevant provincial audit chamber within 60 days following the announcement of the results.

The requirement covers both the traceability of revenue (donations, self-funding, party resources) and the auditability of expenses (logistics, communication, transport, campaign structures). Heavy sanctions for non-compliance The Minister's firm tone is clearly intended to deter any reluctance or delays in filing accounts. Article 371 of the organic law stipulates that, in the event of a refusal to produce campaign accounts, the financial court may declare the loss of the elected mandate and the suspension of the offender's political rights, representing a major sanction for any elected official.

A political reading of the injunction Beyond accounting technicalities, this injunction can be seen as a signal intended to lend credibility to the electoral process in the eyes of international partners and public opinion, following years of disputes over financial fairness in campaigns. It also strengthens the State’s oversight of parties and leaders by transforming financial transparency into a condition for political legitimacy, rather than a mere administrative formality.