President Alassane Ouattara’s announcement that he will seek a fourth term in office has triggered sharp backlash from opposition parties and constitutional scholars in Ivory Coast, who call the move unconstitutional and destabilizing. In a nationally televised address on Tuesday, the 83-year-old leader defended his decision, citing his health and what he described as exceptional national challenges, including growing regional terrorism, economic instability, and global monetary pressures. Ouattara argued that such conditions required “experienced leadership.”
But critics say Ouattara is flouting the very Constitution he helped create. Pascal Affi N’Guessan, a former prime minister and current presidential candidate with the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), denounced the move as a “constitutional betrayal”, saying the original drafters of the 2016 Constitution intended to limit presidents to two terms. The 2016 constitutional reform reset the clock on Ouattara’s presidential tenure, allowing him to run and win a controversial third term in 2020. He justified that bid by citing the death of his chosen successor, former Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, as an exceptional circumstance. Now, N’Guessan and others are questioning what excuse can possibly justify a fourth run.
Opposition outrage is compounded by the exclusion of two major rivals—former President Laurent Gbagbo and PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam—from the electoral roll. Both men are campaigning for reinstatement and accuse the electoral commission of bias. Ouattara has promised a peaceful vote on October 25, but N’Guessan says fair elections are unlikely without comprehensive electoral reforms, including a more balanced Independent Electoral Commission, updated electoral roll, and restored opposition participation.
“He says the country needs him, but I believe he’s part of the problem,” N’Guessan said, accusing Ouattara of jailing political opponents and undermining Ivory Coast’s unity and international standing. The announcement has reignited political tensions in a country still healing from past electoral violence. Analysts warn that growing frustration among youth, who make up the majority of voters, could increase pressure for political change. Ouattara first took office in 2011 after a disputed election led to civil conflict that left over 3,000 people dead. His continued rule, critics say, threatens the country’s democratic trajectory.
