Johannesburg: With elections already underway in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the region is emerging as an early testing ground in what promises to be a closely watched electoral year. In the coming months, a wave of polls will sweep across the continent, with several countries set to choose new legislatures and leaders amid heightened political and economic pressures.
According to Anadolu Agency, Uganda is holding general elections on Thursday to elect a president and members of parliament. President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled the country since 1986, is seeking a seventh term under the National Resistance Movement and is being challenged by seven candidates, including opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, who placed second in the 2021 election. The Electoral Commission has registered about 21.6 million voters, up from 18.1 million in 2021, and authorities say security measures are in place amid a campaign period that has included restrictions on rallies and media coverage, in an election being closely followed across the region.
The Republic of Congo is set to hold a presidential election on March 22, to choose a head of state for a five-year term under a two-round system, with a runoff scheduled if no candidate secures an outright majority. Incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, who has been in power since 1997, was nominated by the ruling Congolese Party of Labour at its congress in December. Opposition groups, including the Alliance for Democratic Alternation in 2026, have begun positioning candidates ahead of a contest that follows a 2021 election with 2.6 million registered voters and turnout of about 67%.
In Benin, the presidential election is scheduled for April 12, with a runoff set for May 10 if no ticket wins an outright majority. About 6.6 million voters are registered, and the electoral system requires all presidential candidates to compete along with a vice presidential running mate and meet minimum sponsorship thresholds. Incumbent President Patrice Talon will not seek reelection, and the country's electoral commission and Constitutional Court have validated two tickets.
Ethiopia will hold general elections on June 1 to elect members of the lower house of parliament. This round will fill 473 of the chamber's 547 seats, with members serving five-year terms under a first-past-the-post system in single-member constituencies. The vote comes after the delayed 2021 elections held amid the Tigray conflict and represents the first adjustment to term lengths since federalism was established in 1995.
Zambia is set to hold general elections on August 13 to elect the president, members of the National Assembly, and local government officials. The president is chosen through a two-round system, with a runoff if no candidate wins an outright majority. The National Assembly has 167 seats, including 156 directly elected in single-member constituencies.
The Gambia will hold a presidential election on December 5 for a five-year term. The vote uses a single-round, first-past-the-post system, with the candidate receiving the most votes declared the winner. Incumbent President Adama Barrow, in office since 2017 after defeating long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh, is seeking a third term under the ruling National People's Party.
South Sudan is expected to vote on December 22 to elect the president and members of the National Legislative Assembly in its first general elections since its 2011 declaration of independence. The president will be chosen through a two-round system requiring an absolute majority, while 102 assembly seats will be elected from geographical constituencies based on 2010 boundaries.
Several other countries in the region are also preparing for elections this year, though exact dates have yet to be confirmed. The island nation of Cape Verde is expected to hold parliamentary elections in April, followed by a presidential vote in October. Djibouti is planning a presidential election by April, while Sao Tome and Principe is expected to hold presidential elections by July and parliamentary elections by September. Cameroon's parliamentary elections are expected by May, following a one-year extension after President Paul Biya's reelection last October.