Thierry Tanoh, former banker and president of Côte d’Ivoire’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), has stepped down from his post, citing “judicial harassment” and politically motivated efforts to derail his presidential ambitions. In a video address on Sunday, Thiam claimed he was the victim of a campaign aimed at removing him from the political arena, saying opponents had “instrumentalized the judiciary” to block his path.
Thiam’s resignation comes ahead of a PDCI leadership meeting scheduled for Monday, where an interim president is expected to be appointed. His presidency, which began in December 2023, had been mired in controversy, with a legal petition filed by a party member challenging the validity of his election as party leader.
The latest blow to Thiam’s political career came in April, when a magistrate in Abidjan invoked Côte d’Ivoire’s nationality laws to strike his name from the voter register, effectively barring him from running in the 2025 presidential election. The decision was based on questions surrounding his nationality status. Though Thiam previously held French citizenship, he renounced it to reclaim Ivorian nationality and qualify for political office.
Thiam, a prominent figure with an international career in banking — including roles at Credit Suisse and McKinsey & Company — had positioned himself as a reformist candidate to challenge the ruling party in next year’s elections. His resignation deepens uncertainty within the PDCI, one of the oldest and most influential political parties in Côte d’Ivoire, as it seeks to reorganize its leadership and define its strategy ahead of the 2025 vote.
