Carlos Vila Nova has secured 55.94% of the vote, according to Sao Tome and Principe’s electoral authority
Published 20 Jul, 2026 13:39
| Updated 20 Jul, 2026 14:40
Carlos Vila Nova © Ernest Ankomah / Getty Images
Sao Tomean President Carlos Vila Nova has won a second term despite running as an independent after breaking with the ruling party that backed his 2021 victory, preliminary results show.
The National Election Commission (CEN) announced on Monday that Vila Nova secured 55.94% of the vote in Sunday’s election, avoiding a runoff, while his main rival Nito D’Abreu received 41.42%. The other two candidates, Eugenio Tiny and Miques Joao Bonfim, obtained 1.07% and 1.58%, respectively.
The incumbent ran as an independent after splitting with the ruling Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party, which backed lawmaker D’Abreu. Vila Nova represented the ADI when he won the presidency in 2021.
Vila Nova’s break with the party followed his dismissal of Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada in January 2025, citing his prolonged absences and the government’s failure to address the country’s economic and financial problems. Trovoada denounced the move as unconstitutional, a position later upheld by the Constitutional Court, although its ruling was not retroactive. The president’s first choice to replace him resigned after three days, deepening a political crisis that has overshadowed the vote.
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Sao Tome and Principe, a nation comprised of two islands in the Gulf of Guinea, has about 240,000 people. It gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and introduced multiparty democracy in 1991. Most of the population lives on Sao Tome, while the smaller island of Principe is an autonomous region. The country has since built a reputation for competitive elections and peaceful transfers of power, despite several attempted coups. Sunday’s vote was the country’s eighth presidential election since 1991.
CEN said 142,191 people were registered to vote, including 20,521 abroad, but reported low turnout. Voting was canceled in the southern communities of Ilheu das Rolas and Praia de Messias Alves after residents erected barricades and prevented ballot boxes from reaching polling stations.
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The commission also reported an attempted cyberattack against its database, election-related disinformation, and the takeover of Vila Nova’s Facebook page. Corruption, inflation, unemployment, fuel shortages, and frequent power cuts were among the main campaign issues.
The European Union deployed 30 observers, while the African Union sent a 29-member mission led by former Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi. Teams from the Economic Community of Central African States, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the G7+ also provided monitors. CEN and observer missions said the voting was generally peaceful, with no major incidents.
