São Tomé and Príncipe Voters Head to Polls for Presidential Election

Voters in São Tomé and Príncipe go to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election that will test the island nation's record of competitive votes since independence from Portugal in 1975. Incumbent Carlos Vila Nova is running for a second term as an independent after representing the Acção Democrática Independente party when he won in 2021.

He dismissed prime minister Patrice Trovoada in January 2025.

Ilza Amado Vaz served as prime minister for three days before Américo Ramos took the post. The National Election Commission reports about 142,000 registered voters, with roughly 15 percent living in the diaspora. Four other candidates are on the ballot, including ADI parliamentary leader Nito D’Abreu and former prime minister Jorge Bom Jesus, who tried to withdraw his independent candidacy but missed the deadline.

The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe has joined a coalition supporting Vila Nova. An ADI faction led by Ramos backs D’Abreu. If no candidate exceeds 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will follow.

The constitutional court disqualified businessman Domingos Monteiro, president of the São Toméan Football Federation since 2015, because his parents were born in Cape Verde and never naturalised. Monteiro said the ruling violated equal rights and reflected xenophobia. Observer missions from the European Union, G7+ and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries are monitoring the vote.

Voters cite government corruption, high inflation, youth unemployment, fuel shortages and power outages as top concerns.