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For several months now, religious, traditional and civil society players have been campaigning for free and transparent elections without violence. On 20 May, the traditional chiefs of Agnibilékrou were mobilised for the occasion to work towards a peaceful presidential election. The awareness-raising day was an opportunity for the National Chamber of Traditional Kings and Chiefs of Côte d'Ivoire to convey messages of peace and call on the political players to preserve national harmony and stability in the country. In order to avoid the painful events of 2010 and 2020 in Côte d'Ivoire, the President of the Chamber was keen to point out that "electoral periods, when poorly managed, can tip over into violence and suffering".

A revision of the electoral roll for an inclusive election

For many observers, this situation could lead to a deadlock; hence the need to create frameworks for consultation in order to find solutions five months before the next presidential election. An online survey by the Abidjan.net information website showed that more than 75% of Internet users believe that political dialogue is still possible before the election. At the same time, the Coalition pour l'alternance pacifique en Côte d'Ivoire (Coalition for a peaceful changeover in Côte d'Ivoire) has announced a meeting on 31 May to call for a revision of the electoral roll, the registration of rejected opposition leaders and the dissolution of the IEC to ensure more inclusive elections. 

Meanwhile, the Ivorian opposition has contacted the human rights organisation Amnesty in Paris to denounce what it describes as "irregularities" in the process leading up to the presidential election in October 2025. Several parties, including those of Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro, submitted motions on 22 May demanding that the elections be "transparent, democratic and inclusive". The Parti des Peuples Africains - Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI), Générations and Peuples Solidaires were keen to internationalise their fight, which they consider legitimate following the exclusion of several political figures from the electoral roll, preventing them from taking part in the elections. 

Alassane Ouattara acclaimed by his comrades to stand for re-election

For its part, the government was keen to reassure national and international opinion that the elections will be held in a peaceful manner within the constitutional timeframe next October. The announcement was made on 21 May by the spokesman of the Rassemblement des houphouétistes pour la démocratie et la paix (RHDP), Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani Étienne, at a press conference held at his party's headquarters in Cocody in the presence of several party executives. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss current events in the country and at the same time prepare for the forthcoming congress, which will be held on 21 and 22 June this year and will be attended by 7,000 delegates and 70,000 people at the closing meeting, where a candidate will be chosen. Will this candidate be Alassane Ouattara or another personality from the ranks of the ruling party? In any case, this question is on the minds of Ivorians, who are impatiently awaiting the decision of the current president. 

On the other hand, the watchword from the ruling party has been announced. ADO is their one and only candidate for the forthcoming presidential election. "We are going to designate the party president and our presidential candidate. President Alassane Ouattara will be proposed as our candidate". In the same vein, the ruling party organised a major event in Abengourou on the initiative of Minister Fofana, the party's regional coordinator, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Finance. Many militants attended this important event for the future of their political party, and issued a clear call for unity, discipline and mobilisation around their president's candidacy. For his part, Alassane Ouattara has yet to say whether or not he will attend. Moreover, many observers continue to worry about Alassane Ouattara's state of health. This is evidenced by his speech at the opening ceremony of the General Assemblies of the African Development Bank, during which he appeared no longer to be able to stand for long. President Ouattara was helped by his aide-de-camp after losing the thread of his speech. 

Will Tidjane Thiam take part in the next presidential elections?

On the opposition side, following the invalidation of his candidacy, President Tidjane Thiam is resigning from his post as president of his political party, the PDCI, which is the main political party of the Ivorian opposition. In a video posted on social networks, the unsuccessful candidate stated that "In the interests of the party, I have decided to hand over my mandate as party president to you, the militants". He also reiterated his unambiguous commitment to victory in October 2025, despite his decision. It should be noted that he has obtained the support of several opposition leaders, including Charles Blé Goudé, who has also been eliminated from the starting line for the next presidential election. 

On the other hand, some of her party comrades criticise her for not renouncing her French nationality soon enough. Valérie Yapo is continuing her legal offensive, denouncing her president's action as cheating. She believes that Tidjane Thiam did not tell the whole truth about his nationality, which damaged their political group and led to the rejection of their candidacy. According to her, "I denounce Tidjane Thiam's cheating". The case is now before the courts, and a hearing was held at the Plateau courthouse in Abidjan on 15 May. Will a plan B like Billon be needed to secure the PDCI's participation? In any case, the businessman continues to proclaim loud and clear his ambition to preside over the destiny of the country through his party. He reaffirmed this on 26 May at a press conference in Dabakala: "I remain a militant of the PDCI-RDA. I am a presidential candidate for the party".

At the same time, the Abidjan court confirmed that Thiam had regained Ivorian nationality after renouncing his French citizenship. As a result, he was re-elected party president by the overwhelming majority of his comrades, reflecting a clear desire to see him occupy the presidential chair for the next term. Is this a political strategy to enable him to take part in the elections after being struck off the electoral roll? According to writer and journalist Venance Konan: "As soon as he renounced French nationality, he became an Ivorian again". On the other hand, public law researcher Patrick Mboyo Bakambo believes that the PDCI leader should learn from his legal setbacks to prepare for the 2030 presidential election.

The news was also marked by a false coup d'état alert, reported on the X social network. The Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information de Côte d'Ivoire (ANSSI) (Côte d'Ivoire's national information systems security agency) was keen to issue a formal denial of these rumours, which were being spread by individuals lurking in the shadows with a hidden agenda aimed at disrupting the peace of mind of Ivorians. The note published at on 22 May states "...this assertion is totally unfounded. It is the result of a deliberate and coordinated disinformation campaign.