The world’s longest-serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea has won re-election and will continue to rule, having been in power for 43 years.

Electoral officials announced that President Obiang, 80, secured almost 95% of votes.

“The results prove us right again,” Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the president’s son, said as quoted by the BBC.

He added: “We continue to be a great party.”

Some opposition candidates stood, but none were expected to win.

He has reportedly survived several coup attempts.

According to the BBC, political opposition is barely tolerated and severely hampered by the lack of a free press in Equatorial Guinea, as all broadcast media is either owned outright by the government or controlled by its allies.

It is thought that President Obiang, who has previously denied accusations of human rights abuses and election rigging, intends to use his sixth term to clean up his international reputation.

In September, the government abolished the death penalty, in a move which was praised by the United Nations.

Equatorial Guinea has a history of what critics call fraudulent election results.