Ivory Coast’s long-serving leader, President Alassane Ouattara, has clinched a fourth consecutive term, securing 89.77 percent of the vote in a tense election overshadowed by controversy and low voter turnout.
The poll drew nearly nine million registered voters, yet major opposition figures Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam were barred from contesting, fueling criticism that the race lacked genuine competition.
Election officials reported turnout at 50.1 percent, similar to the disputed 2020 election.
In northern regions loyal to Ouattara, turnout approached 100 percent, while southern strongholds of the opposition saw figures as low as 20 percent.
According to electoral commission chair Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly, entrepreneur Jean-Louis Billon came a distant second with just 3.09 percent.
Former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo also ran but gained little traction.
Observers from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said the exclusion of Gbagbo and Thiam barred for criminal conviction and dual nationality respectively discouraged opposition supporters and dampened turnout.
Researcher William Assanvo noted that “their absence and calls to boycott clearly demobilised large sections of the electorate.
In Gbagbo’s hometown of Gagnoa, Ouattara captured 92 percent of the vote, but only one in five registered voters participated.
The opposition swiftly rejected the results, branding the outcome illegitimate and demanding fresh elections.
Meanwhile, Ouattara’s supporters celebrated, describing the victory as proof of his enduring popularity.
Political analyst Geoffroy Kouao remarked, “These Soviet-style results show two realities Ouattara’s base remains highly mobilised, while opposition supporters stayed home.”
The campaign period was marred by violent clashes, leaving at least eight people dead and dozens injured at polling stations.
Authorities imposed nighttime curfews in several cities and deployed 44,000 security personnel nationwide to prevent further unrest.
Despite the tension, life in Abidjan began returning to normal on Monday, with traffic and business activities resuming after a quiet weekend.
Ouattara, 83, has been credited with stabilising Ivory Coast’s economy since taking power in 2011.
Yet critics say his bid for another term undermines democratic norms and deepens political divisions.
Pro-government daily Patriote hailed the result, claiming “Ivorians said NO to prophets of doom,” while opposition newspaper Notre Voie described the vote as “an election reflecting a divided country.”
Ouattara first rose to power after the 2010–2011 post-election crisis that killed more than 3,000 people in clashes between his camp and Gbagbo’s.
His latest victory underscores both his political resilience and the fragile state of Ivory Coast’s democracy.
