Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has been reappointed as the head of his opposition party, reversing a previous retirement pledge.
The African Peoples’ Party – Ivory Coast selected the veteran politician at their national congress in the major city of Abidjan.
This decision marks a sudden political turnaround after the eighty-year-old leader initially stated he would refrain from holding future office.
Gbagbo’s party currently holds a weakened legislative position following their total boycott of the nation’s parliamentary elections last December.
The party now possesses no members of parliament and maintains control over only a sparse handful of local mayoral seats.
Legal barriers prevented the former head of state from contesting the recent October presidential election due to an outstanding criminal conviction.
His longtime political rival, Alassane Ouattara, secured victory in that presidential race to continue his tenure as the nation’s leader.
The future of Gbagbo’s political ambitions hinges entirely on whether authorities restore his name to the official national electoral roll.
Any potential reinstatement likely depends on a political decision by President Ouattara, who originally succeeded Gbagbo back in 2011.
The historical rivalry between the two prominent leaders previously sparked a catastrophic and deadly post-election conflict fifteen years ago.