1968 Spanish Guinean general election

General elections were held in Spanish Guinea on 22 September 1968 to elect a President and National Assembly that would lead the country when it gained independence as Equatorial Guinea later that year. A second round of the presidential election was held on 29 September.

1968 Spanish Guinean general election

Registered	137,755
Presidential election
22 September 1968 (first round) 29 September 1968 (second round)
Turnout	67.48% (first round) 79.20% (second round)
Candidate Francisco Macías Nguema Bonifacio Ondó Edú Party IP MUN Popular vote 68,310 40,254 Percentage 62.92% 37.08%
Elected President Francisco Macías Nguema Popular Idea
Parliamentary election
22 September 1968
All 35 seats in the National Assembly 18 seats needed for a majority
Party Seats MLN 10 MUNGE 10 IP 8 UB 7

Politics of Equatorial Guinea
Constitution Human rights
Government President T. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Vice President T. Nguema Obiang Mangue Prime Minister F. Pascual Obama Asue Council of Ministers
Parliament Senate President Teresa Efua Asangono Chamber of Deputies President Gaudencio Mohaba Mesu
Administrative divisions Provinces Districts Municipalities
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2016 2022 Parliamentary: 2017 2022 Political parties Democratic Party (PDGE)
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister: Simeón Oyono Esono Angue Diplomatic missions of / in Equatorial Guinea Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Other countries

Francisco Macías Nguema of the Popular Idea led the field in the first round, advancing to a runoff with Prime Minister Bonifacio Ondó Edú. With the endorsement of eliminated candidates Atanasio Ndongo and Edmundo Bossio, Macías Nguema defeated Ondó Edú in the runoff. Ondó Edú's National Unity Movement and Ndongo's National Liberation Movement won ten seats each in the National Assembly, while the Popular Idea won eight.[1] Voter turnout was 67 percent in the first round and 79 percent in the second round.

After Macias Nguema's victory, he appointed Ndongo as Equatorial Guinea's first Foreign Minister and Bossio as Vice-President, while he ordered Ondó Edú's execution shortly after independence. To date, it has been the only free election ever held in Equatorial Guinea. Over the next four years, Macias Nguema consolidated his power step by step; in 1970 he set up the United National Workers' Party as the only legally permitted party in the country and by 1972 he had declared himself President for Life with dictatorial powers. As a result, the 1968 elections would be the last contested elections held in the country until 1993.