Ivory Coast’s President, Alassane Ouattara, has secured a fourth term in office, winning a decisive 89.77 percent of the vote in an election that excluded his two major rivals, the electoral commission announced on Monday.
Nearly nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote on Saturday in the world’s leading cocoa-producing nation, which has largely avoided the coups and extremist attacks affecting much of West Africa.
However, tensions rose sharply before the election, with outbreaks of deadly violence reported.
Even before the provisional results were released, Ouattara was widely predicted to win overwhelmingly after early tallies on Sunday showed him capturing over 90 percent of the vote.
Turnout was nearly 100 percent in his northern support bases.
The long-serving leader also gained an advantage in traditionally opposition-dominated regions in the south and parts of the economic capital, Abidjan, where polling stations saw sparse activity on election day.
Entrepreneur Jean-Louis Billon finished second with 3.09 percent of the vote, according to commission president Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly, who reported a 50.10 percent voter turnout — roughly the same as in 2020 when Ouattara won 94 percent in a boycott-marred election.
This time, Ouattara’s chief challengers — former president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam — were barred from running, Gbagbo due to a criminal conviction and Thiam for holding French nationality.
“Their absence, their calls not to participate in the election, and the climate of tension that deteriorated in recent days foretold a significant demobilisation of the electorate,” said William Assanvo, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
In the southern city of Gagnoa, a Gbagbo stronghold, Ouattara garnered 92 percent of votes but with turnout as low as 20 percent.
The opposition has rejected Ouattara’s victory, denying it “any legitimacy” and calling for a fresh election.
‘A Calm Election’
Political analyst Geoffroy Kouao observed that “the turnout rate shows two things.”
“First, Mr. Ouattara’s supporters turned out in force, as shown by the Soviet-esque results in certain regions,” Kouao said.
“And second, supporters of Gbagbo and Thiam’s parties did not go to the polls.”
Billon also raised concerns on Sunday about “very low turnout in some regions,” while still extending congratulations to Ouattara.
Billon and other candidates on the ballot — including former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo — had little prospect of forcing a runoff due to weak backing from major political parties and limited campaign funding.
Earlier opposition calls for demonstrations triggered violent clashes in the run-up to the poll, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly two dozen injured in election-day disturbances at about 200 polling centers.
Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in several regions and deployed 44,000 security personnel nationwide.
Presidential elections in Ivory Coast are often marked by unrest. Ouattara first assumed power after the 2010–2011 post-election conflict with Laurent Gbagbo, which resulted in over 3,000 deaths among rival supporters.
By Monday, Abidjan had largely returned to normal, after the capital was unusually quiet over the weekend.
“The Ivorians said NO to prophets of doom,” proclaimed Patriote, a pro-Ouattara newspaper, celebrating “a calm election.”
The opposition daily Notre Voie, however, described it as “an election reflecting a divided country.”
