Ivory Coast’s Constitutional Council has ruled that former president Laurent Gbagbo and opposition leader Tidjane Thiam are not eligible to contest the presidential election scheduled for October 25.
The decision reshapes the political field weeks before the polls, narrowing the contest around a smaller group of candidates.
The council said both men had been struck from the electoral roll, making them ineligible. Thiam, who heads the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), the country’s largest opposition movement, lost his eligibility in April after questions over his nationality.
He had taken French citizenship, which officials said violated requirements for presidential candidates.
Gbagbo, leader of the African Peoples’ Party, Ivory Coast, was excluded because of a past criminal conviction.
The former president, who once led the country through conflict and later faced trial at the International Criminal Court before being acquitted, had sought a political comeback against President Alassane Ouattara.
Despite being aware of these challenges, both Thiam and Gbagbo had formally submitted their candidacies, joining the race to challenge Ouattara, who is seeking a fourth term at the age of 83.
Their disqualification removes two of the most prominent figures from the contest, altering the balance of the campaign.
The final list now includes five contenders: former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, former ministers Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello, and Henriette Lagou, alongside other approved candidates.
Each brings different networks and platforms, but none command the same recognition as Gbagbo or Thiam.
With two heavyweight figures pushed aside, the October election is set to unfold under heightened scrutiny.
Analysts say the exclusions may trigger legal disputes and could inflame political tensions in a country with a history of contested polls.
The campaign period is expected to test Ivory Coast’s fragile stability as voting day approaches.