• Tidjane Thiam re-elected as head of Côte d’Ivoire’s PDCI party with 99.77% of the vote
• He dismissed recent criticism and pledged to focus on leading the party back to power
• His leadership faces legal challenges just five months ahead of the presidential election

Tidjane Thiam has been re-elected as president of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA), securing 99.77% of the vote during an emergency party congress held on May 14. He was the only candidate on the ballot.

Following his victory, Thiam made it clear that his top priority is to lead the party back to power, brushing aside ongoing criticism. “What matters to me is winning,” he told party members. “I am not here to humiliate anyone.” He added that no amount of insults, slander, or false accusations would pull him away from this mission.

Thiam also praised the smooth organization of the congress, which was arranged in just 72 hours. He expressed pride in the party’s ability to quickly mobilize and gave special thanks to interim party president Nkumu Mobio for helping make it happen.

Despite the overwhelming support at the congress, Thiam’s re-election comes at a turbulent moment for the party. Just three days before the vote, he had unexpectedly announced his resignation, citing what he called “judicial harassment.”

According to local media, this resignation was a strategy to avoid a legal dispute with Valérie Yapo, a senior party figure who has challenged the legitimacy of Thiam’s original election in December 2023. Yapo claims that at the time of his appointment, Thiam did not hold only Ivorian citizenship, an eligibility requirement under the PDCI’s rules.

These allegations have led to serious consequences. Ivorian courts have since ordered his removal from the national voter list, a decision that further complicates his political future.

This latest chapter adds more uncertainty to Côte d’Ivoire’s already tense political scene, just five months ahead of the presidential election.

Three major opposition leaders, Laurent Gbagbo, Guillaume Soro, and Charles Blé Goudé, have also been excluded from the provisional voter list, which was published on March 17. All three are facing legal convictions that block them from running.

Meanwhile, the current president, Alassane Ouattara, who is now 83 years old, has not confirmed whether he will seek another term. Back in January, he said he still wanted to “serve his country,” but has made no official announcement since.

Charlène N’dimon