Paul-Marie Yembit (22 December 1917 – 21 January 1978) was the first

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

under

Léon M'ba Gabriel Léon M'ba (9 February 1902 – 28 November 1967) was a Gabonese politician who served as both the first Prime Minister of Gabon, Prime Minister (1959–1961) and President of Gabon, President (1961–1967) of Gabon. A member of th ...

. A member of the

Bapounou The Punu or Bapunu (Pungwe, Pungu, Uréwé) (''Sira, Ban Sira''), are a Bantu meta-ethnicity of Gabon and the Republic of Congo. History According to Magang-Ma-Mbuju and Mbumb Bwass the Punu people come from the people called «Jagas» and com ...

people, he was born in the village of Moussambou and educated in local Catholic schools, then at the public secondary school of Lambaréné. He was a businessman in

Mouila Mouila is the capital of the Ngounié region of Gabon. It lies on the Ngounié River and the N1 road and has a population of about 20,000 people. Its main sight is Lac Bleu, a lake known for its bright blue water. Mouila is very spread out ...

from 1943 to 1952, then was elected to the Territorial Assembly, representing Ngounié Province. In March 1957, he was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly. A member of the

Gabonese Democratic Bloc The Gabonese Democratic Party (french: Parti Démocratique Gabonais, abbreviated PDG), is the ruling and dominant political party of Gabon. Between 1968 and 1990 it was the sole legal party. History The party was established as the Gabonese Dem ...

, he also became Minister of Agriculture and Livestock in March 1957, later holding ministerial posts until becoming vice president in February 1961. M'ba replaced Yembit with

Omar Bongo El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo; 30 December 1935 – 8 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who was the second President of Gabon for 42 years, from 1967 until his death in 2009. Omar Bongo was promoted to key positions as ...

in November 1966, and had elections held the following year to confirm Bongo's position. Yembit died in

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...

on 21 January 1978, aged 60.

Notes

References

*. *. 1917 births 1978 deaths People of French Equatorial Africa Vice presidents of Gabon Government ministers of Gabon Gabonese Democratic Party politicians People from Ngounié Province {{Gabon-politician-stub