Former President of Gabon ( 1961-1967 ) was born on February 9, 1902 and died in power on November 27, 1967 . As the first prime minister of the country ( 1959 - 1961 ), Leon belongs to the Fang ethnicity born to a relatively privileged family in the countryside.

The beginning of his life

After completing his studies, he held a number of small jobs before entering the colonial administration as a customs agent. During this period he was writing for the newspaper "Echo of Gabon" and because of his political activities that led to the colonial administration's concern about him. In 1924, the French administration gave him another chance and chose him as the head of a district. On charges of complicity in the murder of a woman near Libreville, he was sentenced to three years in prison and deported to another 10. .Lyon denied to Obangi Chari - later known as Central Africa -. While in exile, he published a book recording the customary and tribal laws of the Fang ethnicity. He remained an undesirable person for Gabon until 1946, when the French administration allowed his return.He returned to his country in 1946 and worked for a British trading company and founded the Gabonese mixed movement associated with the pro-autonomous African Democratic Rally throughout French Africa. He became a member of the RCD leadership and responsible for the press. In 1952 he entered the Gabonese Regional Council following local elections. He succeeded in the 1956 elections to become mayor of Libreville . The following year his party defeated his rivals and became vice-president of the executive council headed by the French ruler. In 1958 he became chairman of the executive council as prime minister and after the declaration of independence of the jungle In 1960, Wen won the presidency.Lyon rose to the presidency after independence but was met with strong opposition as a result of his pro-French policies. This led Lyon to impose a state of emergency but quickly overtook that stage and won the 1961 election with a landslide victory.In 1964, he faced difficulties again when the army intervened, forcing him to resign, imposing politician Jean Hilaire as president for several days, but he was able to regain control thanks to French intervention in his favor. He was re-elected president in 1967 but died in November of the same year from cancer and was succeeded by his deputy, Omar Bongo.