Cote d’Ivoire - April 2025

On 22 April, the Abidjan Court of First Instance struck opposition leader Tidjane Thiam from the electoral roll, barring him from running in the October presidential election. The court cited Article 48 of the 1961 Nationality Code, which states that Ivorian citizens automatically lose their nationality if they acquire another without prior state approval. Thiam obtained French citizenship in 1987, a move the court deemed grounds for disqualification despite his recent renunciation of it. Thiam and his party, the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (Parti Démocratique de la Côte d'Ivoire, PDCI), denounced the ruling as politically motivated and, although it is not subject to appeal, filed a procedural challenge citing judicial irregularities. Several other prominent opposition figures have also been excluded from the race, including former president Laurent Gbagbo. 

Sources: International Crisis Group, British Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters, Abidjan.net, Barron’s, The Africa Report, Radio France Internationale