With just six months before Ivory Coast heads to the polls, major opposition leaders have been barred from running, igniting political tension.
Among the excluded is Tidjane Thiam, the 62-year-old head of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), who recently renounced his French citizenship to qualify.
A court ruling on Tuesday declared Thiam had forfeited his Ivorian nationality upon acquiring French citizenship in 1987—an irreversible verdict.
Thiam, a former international banker absent from the political scene for decades, insists he remains the sole candidate for his party.
“This ordeal will either make him back down, or harden his political armour,” said political analyst Ousmane Zina of the University of Bouaké.
PDCI officials have called for nationwide demonstrations Thursday, seen as a critical test of Thiam’s grassroots strength and political relevance.
Legal expert Geoffroy Kouao said the party could seek a revision of the electoral list but warned that it “isn’t going to be easy.”
Thiam’s exclusion follows a pattern: other prominent opposition figures have also been sidelined, including former president Laurent Gbagbo.
Gbagbo, 79, was removed from the race due to a 20-year prison sentence related to the deadly post-election crisis of 2010–2011.
Once-powerful figures like Charles Blé Goudé and ex-premier Guillaume Soro remain in exile, also disqualified by court rulings.
Analysts say the opposition may struggle to unite under a single banner, weakening its ability to challenge the ruling RHDP party.