More than 50 hopefuls have submitted candidacy files for Côte d’Ivoire’s presidential election set for October 25, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced Wednesday. The crowded field signals a high stakes race, with both seasoned heavyweights and fresh challengers vying for the presidency. Among the key contenders is incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who is seeking re-election under the ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP). Other major submissions came from former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) and former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, leading the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC).
In a bold move, the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) put forward banker turned politician Tidjane Thiam, while the Party of African Peoples – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) filed on behalf of former President Laurent Gbagbo. Neither man appeared on the official electoral roll published in June, raising doubts about their eligibility.
