🇨🇮 Thousands Flood Abidjan Streets to Protest Election Ban on Gbagbo, Thiam

 

Mass protests rock Ivory Coast as opposition supporters demand the reinstatement of barred presidential candidates.

Zig Diaries Africa News
Date: Saturday, 9 August 2025
Time: 16:50 WAT
Location: 📍 Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Thousands of Ivorians took to the streets of Abidjan on Saturday to challenge the electoral commission’s decision to disqualify four opposition leaders, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex–Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, from the October presidential race.

In a charged atmosphere across Yopougon — Abidjan’s most populous district — demonstrators waved placards reading “Enough is enough!”, “No true democracy without true justice”, and “We are millions saying YES to Gbagbo and Thiam.”

The march, organised by opposition coalitions, comes just weeks after the electoral commission ruled that Gbagbo and Thiam were ineligible to contest the 2025 elections. The decision has ignited public anger, given both men’s recent alliance to challenge incumbent President Alassane Ouattara.

Activist Sagesse Divine, speaking to Zig Diaries during the rally, said:
“We don’t want a fourth term, and we want the electoral roll revised. We want all candidates’ names included, and we want to go to elections in peace — that’s all we want.”

Ouattara, now 83, is pushing for a controversial fourth term after a 2016 constitutional amendment removed term limits. His bid follows a similar pattern seen in other West African states where constitutional changes have prolonged presidential rule, often at the expense of political stability.

Tidjane Thiam, leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, was barred because he still held French nationality when submitting his candidacy — despite later renouncing it. Ivorian law prohibits dual nationals from running for president.

Political analysts warn that Ivory Coast’s fragile peace, still haunted by post-election violence in 2010–2011 and deadly clashes in 2020, could be tested again if tensions escalate.

The government has yet to issue an official statement regarding Saturday’s demonstrations.

Fact-check & Background Context

·        Laurent Gbagbo served as Ivory Coast’s president from 2000 to 2011 and returned from exile in 2021 after being acquitted by the ICC.

·        Tidjane Thiam is a prominent banker and politician who has held top roles in global finance.

·        Ivory Coast has faced repeated electoral crises, most notably the 2010–2011 conflict that left over 3,000 dead.

·        Ouattara’s push for a fourth term mirrors similar constitutional controversies in Guinea and Togo, which have sparked unrest.

TAGS: Ivory Coast, Abidjan Protests, Laurent Gbagbo, Tidjane Thiam, Ouattara Fourth Term, West Africa Politics, Elections 2025

#IvoryCoast #AbidjanProtests #LaurentGbagbo #TidjaneThiam #OuattaraFourthTerm #WestAfricaPolitics #Elections2025