General Mamady Doumbouya, who led a coup in Guinea in 2021, won the presidential election held on Sunday with over 80 percent of the vote, according to provisional results released Wednesday by a government-controlled agency. The election was intended to legitimize his rule after he seized power more than four years ago.

The election took place after General Doumbouya dissolved the independent body responsible for conducting elections and barred key opponents from participating. Abdoulaye Yéro Baldé, considered the strongest of the eight candidates permitted to run, stated Wednesday that he is assembling a legal team to contest the results in court. Baldé, who secured 6 percent of the vote, accused the Doumbouya government of fraud and voter intimidation. "The margin is really huge," Baldé said.

Doumbouya came to power following a military coup in September 2021, ousting then-President Alpha Condé. The coup occurred after Condé altered the constitution to allow himself to run for a third term, a move that sparked widespread protests and accusations of authoritarianism. Doumbouya, a former French legionnaire, pledged to oversee a transition to civilian rule.

At least three opposition figures have publicly conceded defeat. However, Baldé's challenge raises questions about the fairness and credibility of the election. International observers have yet to release their findings on the electoral process. The government agency that oversaw the election was established by Doumbouya himself, raising concerns about its impartiality. The barring of leading opposition candidates further fueled criticism of the electoral process. The legal challenge brought by Baldé is expected to be heard in the coming days.