Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term in office in an election characterized by low voter turnout and deserted streets in the country’s economic hub, Abidjan. Provisional results released Monday show Ouattara, 83, claiming 89.7% of the vote.
Jean-Louis Billon, a former commerce minister from one of the nation’s wealthiest families, trailed far behind with 3%, while former first lady Simone Gbagbo took third place with 2.4%, according to the Electoral Commission head, Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly. Final results are expected by early November, though they could come sooner. Approximately 8.5 million people were registered to vote, with turnout hovering around 50%.
Billon had already congratulated Ouattara Sunday evening, citing early results.
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Ouattara first assumed power following the controversial 2010 election, defeating then-President Laurent Gbagbo. The aftermath saw deadly unrest that left at least 3,000 people dead before an internationally backed Ouattara, supported by U.N. and French forces, took office. Since then, he has been credited by supporters with reviving the economy in the world’s largest cocoa producer, though critics say he has consolidated power.
Analysts observe that Ouattara faced a weakened opposition in this election after major candidates, including Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo, were barred from running.
“With his main rivals sidelined, Ouattara secured a fourth term in office due to his strong influence over state institutions, and leading role in the country’s post-civil war reconstruction,” Mucahid Durmaz, senior analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, global risk consultancy, told The Associated Press.
Ouattara previously navigated term limits by overseeing a 2016 constitutional referendum. In 2020, he declared the constitution reset his tenure to zero, a move rejected by opposition parties that boycotted that year’s election, allowing him to win with over 90% of votes.
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“Many in the country and the wider region are likely to view his fourth term as reinforcing the practice of constitutional engineering and deepening democratic decline in West Africa,” Durmaz added.
His reelection highlights a broader trend in Africa, where older leaders continue to dominate despite the continent’s youthful population. Other long-serving leaders include Cameroon’s Paul Biya, 92, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, 81, and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Mbasogo, 83.
While Ouattara has overseen steady economic growth averaging 6% annually, driven by a cocoa boom, about 37.5% of the 30 million Ivorians still live in poverty, and youth unemployment remains high. The president has also clashed with junta-led governments in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, who accuse him of supporting France, which they blame for regional security declines.
