EVERY DAY, 40-year-old Landry Obame-Mezui drives a taxi in Gabon’s capital Libreville.
But it’s not just any taxi. It’s a sparkling, brand-new white car with the inscription “Taxi Gab+”.
For Mr Obame-Mezui, it is a shining symbol of a promise to Gabon’s youth from coup mastermind-turned-transitional leader Gen Brice Oligui Nguema, who has ruled since August 2023.
With 40% of young people out of work, Oligui Nguema has offered more than 800 new vehicles to young people through a hire purchase scheme.
Mr Obame-Mezui used to drive a taxi owned by someone else. He says, thanks to the interim leader, he now has a better chance of becoming an entrepreneur.
“Before August 30 [2023], things weren’t going as I wished, but today I have something stable on which I can set objectives and go far,” he says, leaning on his new car.
Why Gabon’s coup leader is bucking a trend by embracing democracy
It is no secret who the taxi driver will vote for in Saturday’s presidential election – “I will vote for the builder Oligui Nguema” says the slogan on his car roof.
“The president came in with a new way of doing things – action before speeches,” he says, predicting a “crushing victory” at the polls.
Little more than 19 months after the bloodless coup that brought an end to more than five decades of rule by the Bongo family, the people of Gabon are about to head to the polls to choose a new head of state.
Across the capital, there is no secret about who controls the country.
In varied shapes, sizes and designs, billboards and campaign posters of race favourite Oligui Nguema cover the city.
They dominate the airport, markets and neighbourhoods, leaving very little room for the opposition.
“It’s just for the ambiance,” says Shonnys Akoulatele a potential voter who believes there is more to governance than displaying campaign posters.
With little enthusiasm for the campaign, the 30-year-old says she will only vote out of a sense of duty because none of the eight candidates appear to be able to truly transform the country.
“We’re merely seeing a monotony of the previous regime,” says Ms Akoulatele, adding that presidential candidates are former allies of ex-President Ali Bongo.
Other aspirants such as Stephane Germain Iloko and Alain Simplice Boungouères were also influential members of the former ruling PDG party.
But all candidates seem keen to distance themselves from the old regime.
Front-runner Oligui Nguema served both Bongo father and son, but now emphasises his role in leading the coup that ousted the Ali Bongo.
He is making the fight against corruption, money laundering and embezzlement a central part of the country’s transition to democracy – including arresting the ex-president’s wife and eldest son and accusing them of illegally enriching themselves, which they deny.