Ivory Coast's President Ouattara Secures Fourth Term Amid Controversy

Wed Oct 29 2025 06:09:22 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

At 83 years old, President Alassane Ouattara has won a decisive fourth term amid calls for boycotts from major political rivals, raising concerns about the election's legitimacy.

Alassane Ouattara has been declared the winner of Ivory Coast's presidential election, securing 89.8% of the vote despite significant opposition criticism and a low voter turnout of 50.1%. Two notable opponents were barred from participating, leading many to call the election a 'civilian coup'.

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term in an election which two of his biggest challengers were barred from, provisional results show.

Ouattara, 83, won 89.8% of the vote, the electoral commission said on Monday, with businessman Jeal-Louis Billon coming in a distant second at only 3.09%.

This landslide victory is not a huge surprise, as after being banned from the presidential race, former President Laurent Gbagbo and Credit Suisse ex-CEO Tidjane Thiam urged their supporters to boycott the vote.

Voter turnout reached just 50.1%, according to the electoral commission.

Gbagbo's ex-wife, Simone Gbagbo, who was allowed to contest, received 2.42% of the vote.

The results remain provisional, with the final outcome to be announced by the Constitutional Council after ruling on any election petitions.

On Sunday, the opposition coalition denounced the election as a civilian coup d'état, stating they would not recognize Ouattara as a validly elected leader.

Ouattara first assumed the presidency in 2011 after Laurent Gbagbo's arrest following his refusal to accept defeat in the 2010 election. Despite initially being restricted to two terms, a 2016 constitutional overhaul allowed him to seek re-election in 2020, which was also boycotted by the opposition.