Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has confirmed his intention to lead the African People’s Party – Cote d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) into the upcoming 2025 presidential elections.
The announcement was made by the party’s spokesman, Katinan Kone, after a meeting of the party’s central committee on Saturday.
Gbagbo, who served as the president of the West African country from 2000 to 2011, founded PPA-CI in 2021.
This move followed his acquittal on war crimes charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and his return to Ivory Coast after a decade abroad.
In 2019, the Netherlands-based ICC cleared Gbagbo of charges related to his role in a civil war, which was triggered by his refusal to concede defeat in an election.
Despite losing control of his previous party, the Ivorian Popular Front (IPF), to a former ally during his years of imprisonment in the Netherlands, Gbagbo still maintains a substantial and devoted support base within the country.
The presidential election is scheduled for October 2025.
The incumbent, President Alassane Ouattara, who secured re-election in 2020, has not yet disclosed his decision regarding a potential re-run.
Additionally, another potential candidate is Tidjane Thiam, the former chief executive of Swiss bank Credit Suisse, who assumed the presidency of the PDCI in December.
However, the party has not formally designated its chosen candidate at this time.
