Keypoints:
- RHDP nominates Ouattara despite no formal declaration
- Gbagbo and Thiam unite to challenge disqualifications
- Critics warn of democratic backsliding ahead of October vote
COTE d’Ivoire’s ruling party has officially nominated President Alassane Ouattara for the upcoming October 2025 presidential election, even as the 83-year-old leader remains silent on whether he will seek a fourth term. The move comes just two days after the country’s two largest opposition parties formed a coalition to challenge what they claim is a rigged electoral process.
Ouattara’s endorsement by the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) took place during a national congress in Abidjan on Saturday. According to AFP, party delegates unanimously approved his nomination after Patrick Achi, chairing the congress, proposed the president’s name despite his absence.
Opposition forms united front
The nomination intensifies an already tense political atmosphere following the judiciary’s disqualification of several high-profile opposition candidates. On Thursday, former president Laurent Gbagbo’s African People’s Party – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA–CI) and former international banker Tidjane Thiam’s Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) announced a common platform. Their joint demand: that all disqualified candidates be reinstated to run in the 2025 polls.
Those struck from the race include Gbagbo, whose contestation of the 2010 election led to post-vote violence that killed 3,000 people; ex-premier Guillaume Soro; and Charles Blé Goudé, a former minister. The authorities also blocked Thiam’s bid, citing unresolved nationality issues. Government officials insist the decisions were made independently by the courts.
Ouattara remains tight-lipped
Though President Ouattara has yet to confirm his candidacy, a cryptic remark from January — ‘eager to continue serving’ — has fuelled speculation. He is widely expected to break his silence at a rally on Sunday at the Ebimpé stadium, the same venue where Côte d’Ivoire celebrated its 2024 Africa Cup of Nations victory.
If he does run, it would mark his fourth term in office — a move critics argue flouts democratic norms, despite constitutional reforms in 2016 that reset term limits.
Supporters hail achievements, critics cry foul
RHDP members praised Ouattara’s economic leadership, noting that Côte d’Ivoire has enjoyed annual GDP growth rates of nearly seven percent during his tenure. Vice-President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné told attendees: ‘Côte d’Ivoire has made major advances on the economic, social and cultural fronts, with sustained growth that has made us the envy of many.’
From Gbêkê to Indénié-Djuablin, party faithful travelled to Abidjan to rally behind the man they call ‘Ado’. ‘He has so pleased us that he must finish the works he has begun,’ said Lassana Koné. ‘He has to accept and listen to the cries of his children who are calling on him to continue the adventure,’ added Honoré Adom.
Yet critics accuse Ouattara of creeping authoritarianism. The disqualification of prominent rivals is seen by opposition leaders and international observers as a serious erosion of political freedoms. The bans have prompted fears that the October 25 vote could lack legitimacy.
International spotlight ahead of contentious poll
The election will be closely watched across Africa and beyond. Côte d’Ivoire has a fraught history with contested polls, most notably the 2010 crisis that erupted when Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Ouattara. The 2020 election was also marred by controversy when Ouattara ran for a third term after his chosen successor passed away suddenly.
The government maintains that term limits were reset by the 2016 constitution. The opposition, however, argues that democratic norms are being bent for political gain.
With the political stakes high, the economy robust, and international scrutiny mounting, Côte d’Ivoire’s October election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the country’s recent history.
