Cote d’Ivoire: Tidjane Thiam’s Presidential Bid Blocked as UN Declines to Intervene
Tidjane Thiam, former Credit Suisse CEO and leading opposition figure in Cote d’Ivoire, will be unable to run in the October 25, 2025 presidential election after the United Nations Human Rights Committee declined to support his appeal to be reinstated on the country’s electoral roll.
Thiam had challenged an Ivorian court’s decision to exclude him, which was based on his holding French citizenship at the time of voter registration in the country.
President Alassane Ouattara, 83, has already announced he will seek a fourth term. With Thiam’s candidacy now blocked, along with those of other prominent opposition leaders such as Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro due to prior convictions, the path ahead appears less contested.
The three had planned a joint protest on August 2 against their exclusion, but authorities requested a postponement until after Independence Day on August 7.
Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s top cocoa producer, faced unrest during its 2020 election when Ouattara ran for a third term, arguing a new constitution reset term limits. Other potential challengers, including former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, have until August 26 to file their candidacies.
Quattara for the fourth time seems to have a an easy task as he days near the polls day in Cote de ivore.
President, has been slammed for corruption and instability of the country for years now, however, the opposition have very thin space to view after the UN intervention.
