A court in Ivory Coast has struck Tidjane Thiam’s name from the electoral roll, citing his former French nationality.
The ruling, issued Tuesday, deems Thiam ineligible to vote or run in the October presidential election, his lawyer confirmed.
According to the court, Thiam was not an Ivorian citizen when he registered, violating Article 48 of the Nationality Code.
Thiam, a former Credit Suisse CEO, was seen as a leading opposition figure after taking over the PDCI party in 2023.
In February, he publicly renounced his French citizenship in a bid to meet the strict eligibility rules for candidacy.
Ivory Coast law mandates that presidential candidates must hold only Ivorian nationality at the time of registration.
France’s official journal confirmed last month that Thiam had formally relinquished his French citizenship.
However, the court maintained that his renunciation came too late to legitimize his registration as an Ivorian voter.
The decision, final and non-appealable, casts a shadow over Thiam’s political comeback and the PDCI’s prospects in the election.
Many Ivorians viewed Thiam’s return as a symbol of hope, bridging global experience with national leadership.
With the ruling, the race for the presidency in the cocoa-rich West African nation enters a new, uncertain chapter.