Ivorian court bars top opposition leader Tidjane Thiam from presidential race

In a ruling that has stirred political controversy across Ivory Coast,a national court on Tuesday (22 April) disqualified opposition leader Tidjane Thiam from running in the country’s October presidential election,citing the loss of his Ivorian nationality.

Thiam,former CEO of Credit Suisse and newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI),was considered a leading challenger to president Alassane Ouattara. The court based its decision on Article 48 of a 1960s nationality code,stating that Thiam forfeited his Ivorian citizenship upon acquiring French nationality in 1987. Although Thiam renounced his French citizenship in March in anticipation of his presidential bid,the court deemed the action insufficient. His legal team argued he holds French nationality by birth through his father,and thus should not have lost his Ivorian status — but this claim was rejected. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.

“I will not accept this disbarment because it is unjust,unjustified and incomprehensible,” Thiam declared in a video message,vowing to fight the ruling. Supporters have condemned the ruling as a political tactic to eliminate credible challengers. Thiam joins a growing list of prominent opposition figures — including Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro — barred from the ballot. With tensions rising ahead of the vote,the ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party has yet to name its candidate,as speculation mounts around president Ouattara’s potential fourth-term run.