• Ouattara delayed announcing 2025 candidacy, promises decision soon.
• RHDP backs him; opposition calls the run unconstitutional.
• A fourth bid may heighten political tensions.

On Sunday, June 22, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara delivered a much-anticipated speech to supporters during the closing of the ruling party RHDP’s congress at the Abidjan Exhibition Park. However, he did not end the suspense over whether he will run in the October 25, 2025, presidential election.

"I have heard you. I accept to remain the president of the RHDP," he declared, greeted by loud cheers from the crowd. "As for my candidacy in the presidential election, let me reiterate that I am the president of all Ivorians. I have heard you, I have understood you. I will make a decision in the coming days, after careful reflection, in my soul and conscience."

For several weeks, RHDP officials have intensified calls for him to seek another term, portraying him as the sole individual capable of ensuring stability and preserving the country's economic achievements. His nomination as the party's candidate follows the alliance formed by the two main opposition parties, Laurent Gbagbo's PPA-CI and Tidjane Thiam's PDCI, to demand electoral reforms.

They specifically criticize the exclusion of their leaders and warn against a candidacy they describe as unconstitutional. Alassane Ouattara's supporters, conversely, base their argument on a legal interpretation of the 2016 Constitution, which they contend resets his presidential term count.

Nevertheless, a fourth bid could reignite political tensions and bring the legitimacy of the electoral process back into question for a segment of the public.