Sao Tome's President Wins Re-Election

Sao Tome and Principe’s incumbent president Carlos Vila Nova was re-elected outright in this weekend’s ballot, the national electoral commission of the small African archipelago announced on Monday.

Vila Nova won 56 percent in the first-round presidential vote on Sunday, against 41 percent for party rival Nito Viegas D’Abreu, who was backed by former prime minister Patrice Trovoada.

Abstention was high at 59 percent in the former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, which is viewed as a model of African parliamentary democracy.

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“These results are valid and no irregularities were detected,” National Electoral Commission head Jeudiger Nascimento said when the official results were announced.

After independence in 1975, the island nation in equatorial Africa saw several attempted coups, including in 2022 that was promptly thwarted by the military.

The country of just 200,000 people — which derives most of its revenue from growing cocoa, coffee, vanilla and pepper — has since stabilised.

The president has a largely ceremonial role, while most executive powers lie with the prime minister.

Vila Nova, 66, began his career as a civil servant, then managed two major hotels in Sao Tome city before serving as a minister from 2010 to 2018.

He became president in 2021 with the backing of the centre-right Independent Democratic Action party (ADI).

He was criticised in 2025 for dismissing then prime minister Patrice Trovoada, also of the ADI, a decision that was ruled a year later to be unconstitutional.

Trovoada, now head of the ADI and vying to regain the prime ministerial post from incumbent Americo Ramos in legislative polls in September, had thrown his support behind Vila Nova’s rival Viegas D’Abreu.

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Sao Tome and Principe’s unique landscapes make it a prime tourist destination, especially for the ultra-wealthy.

Major international oil firms, including TotalEnergies, have acquired licences to explore for oil and gas off its shores.

Yet it remains heavily dependent on international aid, with a large majority of its population living below the poverty line.

Author

Jimisayo Opanuga

Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.