• Tidjane Thiam says legal pressure forced him to quit as PDCI-RDA president
• He was taken off the voter list and can no longer run in the 2025 election
• Ernest N’Koumo Mobio will lead the party for now while it prepares for what comes next

Tidjane Thiam (pictured) said late Sunday, May 11, that he is stepping down as president of the PDCI-RDA. In a video posted on his social media pages, the former Credit Suisse boss said he made the choice because of what he called ongoing “judicial harassment” against him and the party.

“For months now, the PDCI-RDA and I have been under unfair legal attacks,” he said. “This pressure is coming from behind the scenes, but it is pushed publicly by people acting under orders. They just want to push us out of public life and politics.”

Thiam had just been named the party’s candidate for the October presidential election. But his campaign hit a wall after he was taken off the voter list because of questions about his nationality. That decision means he cannot run in the election.

Still, Thiam said he is not giving up on politics. He said he remains loyal to the PDCI-RDA and still believes the party can win. But he also said the constant attacks have made it too hard to lead the party properly right now.

Soon after his announcement, the party called an emergency meeting in Abidjan. According to party rules, the oldest vice president, Ernest N’Koumo Mobio, will take over as interim president.

The party also named Thiam delegate president. In that new position, he will help Ernest N’Koumo Mobio run the party until a new president is chosen.

Thiam resignation has divided opinions inside the PDCI. Some party members say the move is a smart way to protect the party from more political pressure. But others worry it could cause problems, especially with the election just five months away.

Thiam’s decision comes at a difficult time for the party, which is still struggling with internal issues since the death of its former leader, Henri Konan Bédié.

What happens next is not clear. Thiam may just be stepping back for now, or this could be the start of a new path. But he made it clear he has not let go of his goal to run for president.