Thousands of Ivorians demonstrated across the nation on August 9, 2025, to protest the exclusion of key opposition figures from the upcoming presidential election. The demonstrations, primarily organized by the African People's Party of Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) led by Laurent Gbagbo and the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) led by Tidjane Thiam, highlight concerns about the fairness and inclusivity of the electoral process.
President Alassane Ouattara, seeking a fourth term, faces a challenge from a fragmented opposition. Several prominent opposition leaders, including Gbagbo, Thiam, Charles Blé Goudé, and Guillaume Soro, have been disqualified. Thiam was barred due to allegations concerning his past French citizenship, despite his renunciation, while Gbagbo, Blé Goudé, and Soro face disqualification due to past legal convictions or restrictions. Protesters carried banners reading, "Enough is enough!" and "No true democracy without true justice." The opposition parties are calling for political dialogue and the reintegration of their leaders. International observers and academics, including Paul Collier, Francis Fukuyama, and Dani Rodrik, have voiced concerns that these disqualifications could undermine democratic principles and potentially reignite instability. Ivory Coast has a history of election-related violence, with nearly 3,000 deaths following the 2010 election crisis and a civil war between 2002 and 2007. The exclusion of major opposition candidates leaves Ouattara as the clear frontrunner for the October 25, 2025, presidential election. The opposition's legal challenges to these exclusions have been unsuccessful, with appeals to the African Union's African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights being rejected. The electoral commission has stated that revising the electoral roll is not feasible due to time constraints, further complicating any potential reinstatement before the August 26 deadline.