Ivory Coast’s main opposition leader, Tidjane Thiam, announced Friday that he has officially renounced his French nationality to meet presidential election requirements.
Thiam, who leads the Democratic Party (PDCI), called this decision “an important step” that had been meticulously planned and legally processed.
By formally relinquishing his French citizenship, he ensures that he will be “exclusively of Ivorian nationality at the time of the election,” he stated.
The Ivorian Constitution requires all presidential candidates to be solely of Ivorian nationality and born to at least one Ivorian parent.
Thiam, a 62-year-old former engineer, minister, and banking executive, spent two decades abroad before returning to Ivory Coast in 2022.
Elected as PDCI president in December 2023, he has yet to secure his party’s official nomination, with Jean-Louis Billon also vying for the candidacy.
The October 25 election is expected to be highly contested, with several political heavyweights preparing to enter the race.
Former president Laurent Gbagbo, nominated by the Ivory Coast African People’s Party (PPA-CI), remains barred from running due to a criminal conviction.
Meanwhile, his ex-wife, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, has launched her own candidacy, adding another layer of intrigue to the political landscape.
Pascal Affi N’Guessan, a former prime minister, is also competing under the banner of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI).
President Alassane Ouattara, in power since 2011, has yet to confirm whether he will seek a fourth term but recently expressed his desire to continue serving.