Five prolific African first children nurtured by their fathers to be presidents

Ali Bongo Ondimba

When Gabon’s president, Omar Bongo, died in 2009, his son Ali Bongo Ondimba took over the presidency.  To shape him for the presidency, his father appointed him into government as the minister of foreign affairs. He later ran for a seat in the national assembly, where he served as the deputy.

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He served in a number of ministerial dockets and was widely believed to succeed his father upon his death in 2009.  While there were rumours of a rivalry between him and his sister Pascaline, he eventually became president in October 2009.