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4d ago

Ivory Coast Opposition Leader Barred From Presidential Race by Court Ruling

Tidjane Thiam disqualified over nationality law as PDCI calls protests and vows to challenge decision with ECOWAS.

FILE - Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Credit Suisse, speaks at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum, Sept. 25, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
Tidjane Thiam, president of the PDCI (Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire), Ivory Coast's main opposition leader and former Credit Suisse Chief Executive, poses after an interview with Reuters in Paris, France, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
The Abidjan court ruled Thiam had lost Ivorian citizenship when he acquired French nationality in 1987
Riot police blocked off access to the Abidjan court on Thursday

Overview

  • An Abidjan court ruled that Tidjane Thiam forfeited his Ivorian nationality when he acquired French citizenship in 1987, permanently barring him from the October 2025 presidential election.
  • Thiam, leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), renounced his French citizenship in February 2025 to meet eligibility requirements but was disqualified under a rarely enforced 1960s nationality law.
  • The PDCI has declared Thiam its sole candidate and announced nationwide protests, while Thiam plans to appeal the ruling to the West African regional bloc ECOWAS.
  • The ruling follows a pattern of judicial decisions excluding opposition figures, including Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro, raising concerns about democratic fairness.
  • The ruling party, RHDP, has not yet named a candidate but is expected to nominate incumbent President Alassane Ouattara for a potential fourth term at its June congress.