Overview

• On June 21, the RHDP unanimously designated 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara as its candidate for the October 25, 2025 presidential election.
• Ouattara is expected to confirm his fourth-term bid at a June 22 rally in the 60,000-seat Ebimpé Stadium in Abidjan.
• Former president Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé, ex-premier Guillaume Soro and opposition leader Tidjane Thiam were struck from the electoral roll by judicial rulings.
• Opposition groups have staged protests denouncing the exclusions as evidence of authoritarian drift and unfair electoral competition.
• While Ouattara highlights robust growth and new infrastructure, critics point to persistent inequality, corruption and the specter of past election violence.