The controversial post was made on Tuesday after President Lourenço opened the MPLA's pre-election campaign in Cunene province, where he said that the Angolan opposition was "fragile" and promised to give them "a big defeat that will take them years to recover from” in the August elections.

In the Facebook post, there was an introductory note which said that the presidency's official page would henceforth also promote MPLA activities and events.

“As it is understood that, running for his party, the MPLA, he [President João Lourenço] does so also as President of the Republic candidate for re-election,” it said.

It did not take long for fury to emerge, both from opposition politicians and society at large.

Among them was an MP from the main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita).

“How disgusting!” MP Adriano Abel Sapiñala wrote on his Facebook page.

Political analyst Olívio Kilumbo says that this is one of many examples that show how the ruling party in Angola has used state means to gain political advantage over its opponents.

“This clearly demonstrates that we are not a democracy. If there was no public backlash, they would go ahead with this decision to promote political propaganda in a platform that is meant to be public,” he told the BBC.

The post was deleted 24 hours later, and no further comment has been made from the Angolan presidency.