Former Ivorian Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, leader of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), has called for the immediate dissolution of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), citing major irregularities in the electoral roll ahead of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2025 presidential election. At a press conference in Abidjan, Affi alleged that over six million unidentified individuals have been irregularly included on the voter register, undermining the legitimacy and transparency of the electoral process. He accused CEI President Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert of failing to address these issues and of making statements perceived as hostile toward opposition parties.
“The CEI has lost all credibility and public trust. It is now seen as an extension of the ruling RHDP party, rather than an independent institution,” Affi stated. He also highlighted the recent withdrawal of major opposition parties—the PPA-CI, led by former President Laurent Gbagbo, and the PDCI-RDA, Côte d’Ivoire’s oldest party—from the CEI as further evidence of the commission’s compromised integrity.
The FPI leader demanded the resignation of all CEI members and pledged to pursue institutional reforms through democratic means. He urged Ivorian citizens to mobilize for electoral reform and emphasized that free, fair, and transparent elections are critical to restoring stability and resolving the country’s ongoing political crisis.
The controversy comes amid rising political tensions in the lead-up to the 2025 vote, which is expected to be fiercely contested. President Alassane Ouattara’s RHDP party has yet to formally announce its candidate, while opposition parties continue to denounce what they view as shrinking democratic space and biased electoral oversight.
