Alassane Ouattara has been declared the winner of Ivory Coast’s presidential election by a wide margin. According to provisional results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (CIE) on Monday evening, the 83-year-old secured a fourth term as president with 89.77% of the vote, amounting to around 3.75 million ballots cast in his favour. Ouattara stood against four lesser-known contenders after opposition figures Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam were barred from standing. Those who did appear on the ballot – former first lady Simone Gbagbo and ex-ministers Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello and Henriette Lagou Adjoua – struggled to make any significant impact.
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The result marks Ouattara’s largest electoral victory to date, surpassing his 2015 result when he won 83% of the vote. Lagou Adjoua slightly improved on her 2015 performance, increasing her share from 0.89% to 1.15%. On Sunday evening, Billon, a former trade minister, conceded defeat in a statement on social media, saying his decision was based on partial results already available to him. He finished in second place with 3% of the vote.
Unless the Constitutional Council issues an unexpected ruling during the five-day verification period, Ouattara, who has governed since 2011, will remain in office until 2030. Under his leadership, the world’s largest cocoa producer has experienced steady economic growth and major infrastructure development, although critics accuse him of fostering cronyism and suppressing political opposition. Despite 8.7 million registered voters, turnout was low in many urban areas, particularly in Abidjan, where polling officials in districts such as Yopougon and Cocody reported fewer than 50 voters by midday. The CIE estimated national turnout at roughly 50%.
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Observers noted that the lower turnout may have contributed to one of the country’s calmest elections in years. In contrast, the disputed 2010 poll – when former president Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat – led to around 3,000 deaths. Tensions had flared in the run-up to this year’s vote, including vandalism at the electoral commission’s office in Yamoussoukro and the imposition of a night-time curfew. Earlier this month, more than 250 protesters were arrested, with 32 sentenced to three years in prison. Human rights groups raised concerns over the heavy security presence and the exclusion of major opposition figures, warning that such measures risk undermining the country’s democratic progress.
