Bongo won with 49.8 percent of the vote, while Ping had 48.2 percent.
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The army searched Ping’s headquarters “from top to bottom”, said an opposition leader, Didjob Ding Duvungui, who was being held for questioning.
Gabon’s newly re-elected president sought to assert authority Thursday as the presidential guard attacked the opposition candidate’s party headquarters amid fiery protests that have seen three killed, hundreds detained and the internet blocked.
Ping called for worldwide assistance to protect the population of the oil-producing state and said Saturday’s election was stolen by Bongo, who was declared the victor on Wednesday.
Ping is disputing the official election results that showed him losing by about 5,000 votes to Bongo. Earlier in the week, customs officials seized satellite telephones they said had been imported illegally. “And to send a strong signal of transparency”, said Jean Marc Ayrault, French Foreign Minister.
The president said he was sad for the deaths of citizens, and he thanked security forces, who he said did all they could to avoid using live bullets.
“Everybody knows that I won the election”, Ping told Reuters, adding that the electoral commission’s figures were based on false documents.
Bongo’s re-election would extend his family’s half-century rule over the oil-rich nation by another seven years.
Gabon does not have a run-off system, so the candidate with the most votes in the 10-candidate field wins the election. “This is because of the victory of Bongo against Jean Ping”, said witness Alex Mbadinga, 32.
Bongo took office in 2009, succeeding his father Omar Bongo, who died after 42 years in power. “It’s as simple as that”, the opposition leader told Al-Jazeera.
The government says it plans to diversify the economy through investments in manganese mining and cash crops like palm oil and rubber.
Jean Ping had been a long-time ally of former President Omar Bongo.
European Union election monitor spokesperson Sarah Crozier told BBC Newsday “it’s not a very common result, that’s for sure”.
In a statement, the AUC said it was concerned “over the outbreak of violence in some parts of the country that has resulted in the loss of lives, injuries and destruction of property”.
She condemned the escalation of violence that has the potential to undermine peace and stability in the country with adverse repercussions for the peace and security of the Central Africa region.
He is now calling for global assistance and protection for the people. “I don’t need people to tell me what’s wrong in my country”.
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Opposition challenger Jean Ping accused the elections commission of inflating Bongo’s score to hand him a slim victory and extend his family’s almost half-century rule in the oil-producing Central African country for another seven years.
