By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Republic of Congo’s President Denis Sassou N’guesso on Thursday said he will run in the March 15 presidential election, giving him opportunity to extend his decades-long hold on power in the Central African nation.
Sassou N’guesso, 82, made the announcement when he visited an agricultural fair in Bambou Mingali, about 60 kilometers north of the capital Brazzaville.
The President who first came to power in the oil-rich country in 1979 ruled until 1992 when he lost a re-election bid.
He returned to power as militia leader following a four-month civil war in 1997, and has been at the helm ever since, winning four elections against a weak opposition.
He is the longest serving President on the continent, after the Presidents of Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.
A 2015 constitutional amendment removed presidential term and age limits, allowing him to remain eligible to run for office.
He faced little known opposition figures in past elections Sassou N’guesso is expected to face about a dozen lesser-known candidates in the next month election. The Pan-African Union for Social Democracy, the main opposition party announced last week that it will not field a candidate.
Last month, the government announced that the presidential election will be held March 15, instead of the initially planned March 22. No explanation was given for the change of date.
More than 10 candidates have declared their intention to run, including independent Alexis Bongo and former rebel leader Frederic Bintsamou, known as Pastor Ntoumi.
The ruling Congolese Labor Party has already picked Sassou N’guesso as its candidate.
