Coast Clears For President Ouattara As Opposition Figure Thiam Resigns

Prominent Ivorian opposition figure Tidjane Thiam has resigned as head of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) following a court ruling that disqualified him from October’s presidential election over dual nationality issues.

His exit coincides with the exclusion of former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-minister Charles Blé Goudé, deepening concerns over the opposition’s prospects. 

Thiam, PDCI leader since 2023 and its presidential nominee since June, announced his resignation, declaring he would hand his mandate to party activists. The move came after an Ivorian court ruled him ineligible, citing a 1961 law that strips Ivorians of citizenship upon acquiring another nationality. Thiam, who held French citizenship from 1987 until renouncing it in February, was deemed too late to reclaim eligibility. 

“What’s happened is that they dug out a 1961 law that has never been applied to anybody,” Thiam told the BBC, accusing the ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) of sidelining rivals. He drew parallels to the national football team’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations win, quipping that they should hand the trophy to Nigeria since half our squad wasn’t born here. 

Thiam initially vowed to challenge the ruling, staging protests in Abidjan earlier this month. His departure weakens an opposition already reeling from the exclusion of Gbagbo and Blé Goudé, barred by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over convictions tied to the 2010–2011 post-election crisis. Gbagbo, president from 2000–2011, refused to concede defeat to current leader Alassane Ouattara, sparking violence that killed 3,000. Though acquitted by the ICC of crimes against humanity, Gbagbo’s 20-year sentence for looting the Central Bank of West African States remains grounds for exclusion, despite a 2022 presidential pardon. 

 Gbagbo, who announced his candidacy last year, denounced the decision as politically motivated, while Blé Goudé’s camp called it a “democratic setback.” 

The IEC’s rulings leave Ouattara, 82, positioned for a potential fourth term, though he has yet to confirm his candidacy. Critics argue the exclusions skew the race, with Thiam asserting, “The field is being cleared for one victor.” 

Thiam, a former Ivory Coast minister turned global banking executive, returned in 2022 to revitalize the PDCI, once led by the nation’s founding president. Analysts warn that the mounting disqualifications risk fueling tensions in a country still healing from decades of political strife. 

The presidential election is set for October 26, with final candidate lists expected next month.