World's longest serving President Teodoro Obiang wins re-election in Equatorial Guinea

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea’s President is all set to continue his 43-year rule after he won re-election on Saturday. The 80-year-old is known as the world’s longest-serving president, ruling an authoritarian regime in Equatorial Guinea.

According to BBC the President won almost 95 per cent of the votes which the officials announced 6 days after the elections were conducted. 

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is known for his authoritarian regime in the oil-rich African country, his son is the Vice President of the central African nation.

Responding to the recent victory, his son, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue said, “The results prove us right again," adding, “We continue to be a great party." The Vice President took to social media to announce the number of seats won by the winning party coalition. He tweeted, “Without a doubt, we have carried out a great campaign, demonstrating with facts that the PDGE is the guarantee for the present and future of GE.”

Oppositions joined the coalition, while critics speculated intimidation and corruption

Earlier this week AP reported that the opposition parties have joined an alliance with Obiang’s authoritarian regime, the critics have called the move “intimidation, torture, and corruption tactics by the party of the world’s longest-serving president". According to BBC, Nguema seized power in 1979 after a military takeover and has managed to survive several coup attempts. 

Political opposition is severely hampered in the oil-rich African nation, the country has been criticised for numerous human rights abuse which the President has vehemently denied. In an effort to clean up its reputation, in September the country abolished the death penalty for a crime, a move which was praised by the UN. However, the political intelligentsia of the region is skeptical about Nguema’s upcoming tenure. According to BBC, numerous human rights groups have named him one of the worst rights abusers in Africa.