*Plus past leaders of the country and its history
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will be representing the President today in São Tomé city for the inauguration of Mr. Carlos Manuel Vila Nova, the newly elected President of Sao Tome and Principe.
He will be joining other Heads of State and government, especially from Africa. The new President of the Island Central African country was declared the winner of the run-off election conducted on the 3rd of September, 2021, and is taking over from the incumbent President, Mr. Evaristo Carvalho.
The Vice President leaves Lagos this morning and would be accompanied by the Foreign Affairs Minister of State, Ambassador Zubairu Dada.
He is expected back in Abuja later today.
*Below is a list of past presidents of the country
-Manuel Pinto da Costa- 12 July 1975 4 March 1991 15 years, 235 days
– Leonel Mário d’Alva 4 March 1991 – 3 April 1991 30 days PCD —
-Miguel Trovoada, 3 April 1991 – 15 August 1995
– Lieutenant Manuel Quintas de Almeida , 15 August 1995 21 August 1995 8 days Military —
– Miguel Trovoada, 21 August 1995 – 3 September 2001 6 years, 19 days
-FradiqueMenezes. 3 September 2001 – 16 July 2003 (deposed) 1 year, 316 days
– Major Fernando Pereira -16 July 2003 23 July 2003 7 days Military —
-FradiqueMenezes. 23 July 2003 – 3 September 2011 8 years, 42 days
-Manuel Pinto da Costa- 3 September 2011 3 September 2016 5 years
– Evaristo Carvalho- 3 September 2016 Incumbent 5 years, 27 days ADI 2016
-Carlos Vila Nova (born 1959) Elected (to be sworn in today)
Facts on Sao Tome and Principe
According to reports by “World Population Prospects – Population division,” population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division and Instituto Nacional de Estadística de São Tomé e Príncipe, it is officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe (Portuguese: República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe). It is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.
It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, about 140 km (87 mi) apart and about 250 and 225 km (155 and 140 mi) off the northwestern coast of Gabon. With a population of 201,800 (2018 official estimate), São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest and second-least populous African sovereign state after Seychelles as well as the smallest and least populous Portuguese-speaking country.
The islands were uninhabited until their discovery by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. Gradually colonized and settled by the Portuguese throughout the 16th century.
It gained its independence on 12 July 1975 when the first President, Manuel Pinto da Costa, took over.