Struggling Mobilization of Côte d'Ivoire's Main Opposition Party Following Candidate's Exclusion
🗳️ The Exclusion of Tidjane Thiam: An Ivorian Opposition Squabble
In the heat of Côte d'Ivoire's political landscape, opposition party, PDCI, was left reeling on April 24, following the removal of their presidential candidate, Tidjane Thiam, from the October election race. The economic powerhouse of sub-Saharan Africa, still raw from the unrest of 2010-2011, finds itself in another tense electoral period.
A march was scheduled in the capital, Abidjan, to voice frustration, but only around 200 party members showed up before dispersing. The low turnout raised eyebrows, with Professor Ousmane Zina from Bouaké University explaining, "This is the result of doubt and uncertainty within the PDCI".
"A distance march"
Thiam, a 62-year-old international banker, has a long way to go to win over his supporters, according to Zina. "Does Thiam think his absence will mobilize people? That's a long shot. It's the beginning of a long political journey for him", he added, highlighting the need for Thiam to move beyond his familial ties to ex-president Houphouët-Boigny.
Among Democrats at the party headquarters, frustration was palpable. Saleswoman Maria Blanc was "very disappointed" that the march didn't take place. "The party's indecision only delays the process of making Thiam our presidential candidate", she lamented.
"Accused of dual nationality"
But things took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when Abidjan court struck Thiam from the electoral list, asserting that he had forfeited his Ivorian nationality in 1987 when he gained French citizenship. This sudden disqualification barred Thiam from running for the presidency due to the requirement that a candidate cannot hold dual nationality[3][1][2].
Thiam, though disheartened, vowed to press on, declaring, "It's me or no one, we won't present another candidate." He also noted that the decision was detrimental to Côte d'Ivoire and accused the ruling party, RHDP, of a politically motivated move. However, the RHDP maintained their distance from the matter.
Meanwhile, the RHDP, led by President Alassane Ouattara, has yet to reveal their presidential candidate. Ouattara, who has been President since 2011, has suggested he's willing to serve his country for longer.
As for Thiam, legal troubles may continue. Another court appearance is scheduled on May 8, with a procedure that could potentially oust him from his post as party president, due to his dual nationality[5].
So, in the midst of election season, Tidjane Thiam finds his ambitions thwarted by a court's interpretation of a frustrating electoral law. The race continues, but it seems the odds are stacked against our contender.
(Enrichment Data: Tidjane Thiam was excluded from the October 2025 presidential race in Côte d'Ivoire because a court ruled he was ineligible to run due to his dual nationality status. Specifically, the Court of First Instance of Abidjan-Plateau determined that Thiam forfeited his Ivorian nationality when he acquired French citizenship in 1987, making him ineligible as a presidential candidate under Ivorian law[3][1][2]. Thiam had been endorsed by his party, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), as their candidate for the upcoming election scheduled for October 25, 2025[3][4]. Thiam denounced the court's verdict as "unfair, unjustified, and incomprehensible," accusing it of being a politically motivated move orchestrated by the ruling RHDP party to bar him from contesting the election[3].)
- Tidjane Thiam, the ousted presidential candidate of PDCI in Côte d'Ivoire, faces a long political journey to win over his supporters, according to Professor Ousmane Zina.
- The low turnout at the PDCI march in Abidjan was due to doubt and uncertainty within the party, according to Professor Zina.
- Thiam was disqualified from the October election race when the Abidjan court ruled that he had forfeited his Ivorian nationality in 1987 upon gaining French citizenship.
- Thiam has accused the ruling party, RHDP, of a politically motivated move that has barred him from running for the presidency due to his dual nationality.
- The RHDP, led by President Alassane Ouattara, has yet to reveal their presidential candidate for the upcoming election.
- Legal troubles may continue for Thiam, as a court appearance is scheduled on May 8 that could potentially oust him from his post as party president due to his dual nationality.
- The exclusion of Thiam from the presidential race has created a vacuum in the general news and politics sections, as well as in the war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice categories, regarding the October 2025 election in Côte d'Ivoire.
- The football community in Europe, particularly the European leagues and the Premier League, has been following the political developments in Côte d'Ivoire with interest, given Thiam's influential role as a former CEO of Prudential and a current board member at Premier League club Newcastle United.
- In the midst of the electoral kerfuffle, car-accidents, fires, and migration remain prevalent issues in Côte d'Ivoire, requiring the attention of policy-and-legislation makers and society at large.
