Ivory Coast: Simone Gbagbo Cleared to Run in Presidential Election

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

Ivory Coast’s former First Lady, Simone Gbagbo, has been cleared to contest next month’s presidential election, emerging as a surprise addition to the shortlist of five approved candidates.

Gbagbo, the widow of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, will go head-to-head with incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who has remained in power since the couple’s dramatic capture in a presidential bunker during the 2010 post-election crisis.

In a move stirring debate, Laurent Gbagbo, former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, and ex-Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam were barred from the race. Their exclusion has raised questions about the credibility of the October 25 poll and fueled concerns over possible unrest.

Analysts say Simone Gbagbo’s candidacy is both politically significant and symbolically powerful in a country where women remain vastly underrepresented in top leadership roles.