Equatorial Guinea leader poised to extend 43 years in power

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Africa’s longest-serving ruler, was poised Sunday to extend his 43 years in power in the oil-rich country amid accusations of voting irregularities from the opposition.

In previous elections, Obiang has never gotten less than 90% of the vote, and one of the two opposition candidates said Sunday that the ruling party appeared to be again committing electoral fraud.

Andres Esono told journalists that his party had been receiving complaints all day from across the Central African nation, with many voters saying they were forced to cast ballots publicly rather than in secret.

“What he is doing is massive fraud, even worse than on previous occasions,” Esono said of the 80-year-old incumbent.

Esono was one of only two candidates running against Obiang in Sunday’s election. Fourteen of the country’s opposition parties joined an alliance with the authoritarian regime, which critics have long accused of