Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara has clinched a fourth term in office, winning a landslide 89.77 percent of the votes in Saturday’s election.
This was announced by the Independent Electoral Commission announced on Monday.
The poll, which drew nearly nine million eligible voters, unfolded under tight security in the world’s top cocoa producer — a country that has largely resisted coups and extremist insurgencies plaguing much of West Africa but remains haunted by political divisions.
Ouattara, 83, who has been in power since 2011, faced limited competition in a race widely seen as one-sided. His two strongest rivals — former president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam — were disqualified from contesting.
Gbagbo was barred over a criminal conviction linked to the 2010 post-election violence, while Thiam was deemed ineligible due to his French nationality.
With both figures out of the race, the president’s victory was widely expected. Early tallies on Sunday already showed him leading with over 90 percent, particularly in his northern bastions, where turnout neared 100 percent.
In the southern regions, known for their opposition leanings, turnout plummeted, with many polling units in Abidjan and Gagnoa recording sparse attendance.
Electoral commission chairman Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly said the national turnout stood at 50.10 percent — roughly the same as in 2020, when Ouattara secured 94 percent in an election boycotted by his opponents.
Entrepreneur Jean-Louis Billon came second with 3.09 percent of the votes, while other minor candidates, including former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, trailed far behind.
Billon, while conceding defeat, expressed concern over the “very low turnout in some regions,” urging the government to rebuild public confidence in the democratic process.
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Analysts believe the result underscores both Ouattara’s enduring political dominance and growing disillusionment among citizens.
Political scientist Geoffroy Kouao said the turnout “showed that Ouattara’s supporters came out in force, but those of Gbagbo and Thiam stayed away,” describing the northern results as “Soviet-style margins.”
The opposition, meanwhile, has dismissed the outcome, labeling the election illegitimate and calling for a rerun. “This cannot be called a free or fair election,” a coalition statement read, referencing the exclusion of major contenders and the atmosphere of fear that preceded the vote.
Pre-election tensions had turned deadly earlier this month, with at least eight people killed and nearly two dozen injured during violent protests and clashes at over 200 polling centers. To curb unrest, the government imposed nighttime curfews in several cities and deployed more than 44,000 security personnel nationwide.
Ivory Coast’s presidential contests have historically been flashpoints for unrest. Ouattara first rose to power after the 2010–2011 crisis that claimed more than 3,000 lives in clashes between his supporters and Gbagbo loyalists. Though the country has since experienced economic growth, the political wounds remain fresh.
By Monday, Abidjan had returned to relative calm after a quiet weekend marked by low public movement. Pro-government daily Le Patriote lauded the outcome, declaring that “the Ivorians said NO to prophets of doom,” while opposition paper Notre Voie argued the results mirrored “a deeply divided nation still struggling with democracy.”
For many Ivorians, the election reinforced a familiar narrative — one of stability overshadowed by discontent and democracy weakened by exclusion.
As Ouattara celebrates another term, the challenge before him remains how to unite a fractured country that appears increasingly weary of its political elite.
The Conclave
