Côte d’Ivoire’s Constitutional Council has approved, on September 8, only five out of 60 applications for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for 25 October.
The Council, led by its president Chantal Nanaba Camara, announced on Monday that 55 applications — including those of former President Laurent Gbagbo, Democratic Party leader Tidjane Thiam, and Ivorian Popular Front leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan — were declared invalid. Gbagbo and Thiam were disqualified for not being on the electoral list, while Affi N’Guessan was rejected for failing to secure sufficient sponsorships.
Other high-profile disqualified candidates included Vincent Toh Bi Irie, former Prefect of Abidjan, and Antoine Assale Tiemoko, MP and Mayor of Tiassale, both of whom lacked adequate sponsorships.
President Alassane Ouattara’s candidacy was confirmed, along with those of four others, including former First Lady Simone Ehivet-Gbagbo. The decision sets the stage for a tightly contested election, narrowing the field significantly just weeks before Ivorians head to the polls.