Ivorian opposition parties struggle under legal pressure a year after Ouattara's landslide win

Alassane Ouattara was re-elected on 27 October 2025 with 89 % of the vote after his two principal opponents were prevented from standing. In the ensuing year, the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) and the Party of African Peoples of Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) have become frequent subjects of judicial actions, leaving them considerably weakened. The PPA-CI organized a meeting in Gonzagueville, a suburb south of Abidjan, yet its founder Laurent Gbagbo did not attend, staying overseas for the past month.

Party officials, including vice-president executive Jean-Gervais Tchéidé, told reporters that the organization has faced more severe crises before. Gbagbo, who was detained at the International Criminal Court until 2021 and later acquitted of crimes against humanity related to the 2010 post-election violence, continues to lead the party from abroad. The legal pressures on both opposition parties underscore a broader trend of political consolidation around the president.