Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara has won a fourth term with 89.77 percent of the vote, the electoral commission announced Monday. The election, held Saturday, took place amid political tension and violence after Ouattara’s two main rivals were barred from running.
More than nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote, and turnout stood at about 50 percent—similar to the 2020 election, when Ouattara won 94 percent. Entrepreneur Jean-Louis Billon came second with just over 3 percent of the vote.
Former president Laurent Gbagbo and ex–Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam were excluded from the race—Gbagbo due to a criminal conviction and Thiam for holding French citizenship. Analysts say their disqualification and calls for a boycott contributed to low voter participation, especially in opposition areas such as Gagnoa, where turnout was only 20 percent despite Ouattara winning 92 percent.
The opposition has rejected the results as illegitimate and is calling for new elections. Ouattara’s sweeping victory adds to concerns about entrenched leadership in Africa, where several presidents, including Cameroon’s Paul Biya, have held power for decades.
