Ivory Coast’s 83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara faces divided opposition amid low turnout and rising tensions over a controversial fourth term bid.
Polls closed across Ivory Coast on Saturday October 25, 2025 after a day of voting marked by low turnout, scattered unrest, and deep political divisions, as 83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara appeared on course to secure a fourth term in office.
Nearly nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote in the election, which pitted Ouattara against four rivals. Many opposition leaders, however, were either barred from running or called for a boycott, undermining confidence in the vote’s competitiveness.
Reports from the economic capital, Abidjan, suggested sparse crowds at several polling stations, while higher participation was recorded in Bouaké, a stronghold of the ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP). In some southern and western regions, roads were blocked and tension simmered, though security forces largely prevented major disruptions.
In the town of Lopou, west of Abidjan, police used tear gas to disperse pre-election protests against Ouattara’s candidacy. “There will be no voting here,” said one elderly resident, accusing the government of violating the constitution.
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The election comes after weeks of unrest that have left at least four people dead, including a Police Officer. An electoral commission office was set ablaze on Monday October 20, 2025, prompting the government to impose night-time curfews in several regions and deploy more than 44,000 security personnel nationwide.
Authorities said the measures were intended to prevent a repeat of the 2020 election violence that claimed 85 lives. But critics argue the crackdown has stifled dissent and free expression. Several dozen protesters have been sentenced to prison for “disturbing public order.”
Two of Ouattara’s most prominent rivals — former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse chief Tidjane Thiam — were barred from contesting, Gbagbo due to a criminal conviction and Thiam for holding French nationality. The disqualifications have fueled opposition accusations that the government manipulated the process.
Gbagbo described the election as an “electoral robbery” and a “civilian coup d’état,” alleging that credible challengers were deliberately excluded.
Ouattara, who first took power in 2011 after a violent post-election conflict that killed more than 3,000 people, defends his decision to run again, citing a constitutional revision that he says reset his term count.
While his administration points to years of economic growth and improved stability in the world’s top cocoa producer, critics say rising living costs and inequality have eroded public trust.
Preliminary results are expected in the coming days.
