Tidjane Thiam, leader of Ivory Coast’s main opposition party, has officially renounced his French citizenship, a move that allows him to compete in the country’s presidential election scheduled for October.
Thiam, who heads the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), described the decision as a necessary step in his candidacy. “This has been a long-planned process, requiring me to submit a request to relinquish my French nationality,” he stated, adding that it ensures he will hold “exclusively Ivorian nationality” by the time of the election.
Ivory Coast’s constitution mandates that presidential candidates must have only Ivorian nationality and be born to at least one Ivorian parent.
A former engineer, government minister, and banking executive, the 62-year-old Thiam spent two decades abroad before returning to Ivory Coast in 2022. He was elected PDCI president in December 2023 but has yet to be officially named as the party’s candidate. Former Commerce Minister Jean-Louis Billon has also declared his intention to seek the nomination.
The race for the presidency is becoming increasingly competitive. Former President Laurent Gbagbo, leader of the Ivory Coast African People’s Party (PPA-CI), has been nominated but remains barred from running due to a past criminal conviction. His former wife, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, has launched her own campaign, while Pascal Affi N’Guessan, a former prime minister, is running under the banner of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI).
Meanwhile, President Alassane Ouattara, who has led the country since 2011, has yet to confirm whether he will seek a fourth term. However, he recently stated that he remains “keen to continue serving” Ivory Coast.