Ofure Akhigbe
Ivory Coast’s presidential contest has taken a dramatic twist, with two of the country’s most prominent opposition figures barred from standing in next month’s election.
The Constitutional Council on Monday announced that former president Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam are ineligible to contest the October 25 poll. Both were struck off the national electoral roll.
Thiam, who leads the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), the country’s largest opposition party, was removed in April over nationality-related issues following his acquisition of French citizenship. Gbagbo, leader of the African Peoples’ Party–Ivory Coast, was excluded due to a prior criminal conviction.
Despite the disqualifications, both men had formally submitted their candidacies to challenge incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, 83, who is seeking a fourth term in office.
With their exclusion, five candidates remain in the race, including former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, along with former ministers Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello, and Henriette Lagou.
The ruling sets the stage for a reshaped and unpredictable contest just weeks before Ivorians head to the polls.