The four candidates vying for the presidency of São Tomé and Príncipe demonstrated rare unanimity during a televised debate on Tuesday night, agreeing that systemic corruption and a weak judicial system are severely crippling the island nation’s development. The broadcast was the first and only scheduled debate ahead of the presidential election.
During the two-hour debate on Televisão São-Tomense (TVS), candidate Nito d’Abreu labeled corruption as “the greatest catastrophe the country has experienced in its half-century of independence,” warning that failing courts scare away critical foreign investment.
Incumbent President Carlos Vila Nova echoed this sentiment, arguing that investors will steer clear of the country if the judiciary does not function properly, and called for making judicial reform “a national cause.” Candidate Eugénio Tiny, a jurist, described corruption as a “cancerous wound destroying the country,” while attorney Miques João denounced political interference in the courts and lamented the “national scourge” of corruption.
With the presidential vote just days away and legislative elections scheduled in three months, all four candidates pledged to respect the election results and committed to a smooth institutional cohabitation with whichever government emerges from the polls. The candidates emphasized that while the president does not directly govern under the nation’s semi-presidential system, the head of state holds significant moral and political influence.
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The political dynamics of the race are highly fractured:
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Carlos Vila Nova (Incumbent): No longer supported by his former party, the Independent Democratic Action (ADI), Vila Nova is running with the backing of a broad opposition coalition. This platform includes the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), the Basta Movement, the Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), and several other smaller parties, alongside a dissident faction of the ADI.
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Nito d’Abreu: The parliamentary leader of the ADI, d’Abreu is the party’s official candidate. He is backed by the faction loyal to party leader Patrice Trovoada, whose government was dismissed by President Vila Nova in January 2025. He also has the support of a coalition that includes the Independent Citizens’ Movement–Socialist Party (MCI-PS).
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Eugénio Tiny: The most experienced candidate in the race, Tiny is running as an independent without formal party backing. He is a co-founder of the MDFM party and previously served as the vice president of the National Assembly.
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Miques João: At 41, João is the youngest candidate in the race and is also running as an independent. His campaign follows a period of intense personal controversy; he was previously suspended by the Bar Association over unsubstantiated allegations against political and judicial figures and was temporarily detained in mid-2025 on sexual abuse allegations involving a minor—charges he claims are a political setup. He is currently awaiting trial at liberty.
Initially, the Constitutional Court approved five candidates for the presidential ballot, but former Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus withdrew from the race after the official deadline. According to the National Electoral Commission, a total of 142,191 voters are registered to cast their ballots, with 121,670 residing in São Tomé and Príncipe and 20,521 registered in the diaspora across Europe and Africa.
