São Tomé and Príncipe's President Vila Nova projected to win second term

The President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, has been re-elected to a second five-year term, preliminary results show.

According to the country's electoral commission, Vila Nova received more than 55 percent of the vote, avoiding a second-round run-off.

His main rival Nito Abreu, a member of parliament backed by the prime minister, got 41 percent.

Sixty-six-year-old Vila Nova who first took office in 2021, campaigned on a platform of "political stability," while his 43-year-old rival hoped to appeal to younger voters.

National Electoral Commission chief Jeudiger Nascimento voiced concern about low turnout, saying many people had gone to polling stations without casting ballots, though he gave no official figures.

Vila Nova broke with the Independent Democratic Action party that first brought him to power after sacking the then-prime minister. He stood in this election as an independent candidate.

A former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, the island nation has a history marked by attempted coups including one in 2022 that was promptly thwarted by the military.