Meanwhile, in Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara coasted to victory after earning 90% of votes cast in the October 25 elections . The win handed Ouattara his fourth, five-year term, which would extend his rule to 20 years. 

More astounding was President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s win in Tanzania, as the country’s electoral body declared she won 98% of the vote in a widely participated election — 87% of registered voters turned out, compared with 50% in 2020. 

While these electoral wins are separated by distance and circumstance, the three are bound by ties that extend beyond their status as reelectionists and leaders in Africa. 

Opposition barred

One of the most glaring similarities between the Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Tanzania elections was that major opposition bets were barred from running — many of them disqualified on questionable grounds. 

In Cameroon, veteran politician and lawyer Maurice Kamto was dropped from the candidates' list after his party, the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon, fell into disarray after internal disputes led to rival endorsements. Before his candidacy came to an abrupt end, he was widely regarded as the strongest challenger to Biya. 

Ivory Coast’s electoral body stripped two challengers of their eligibility: Tidjane Thiam, whose acquisition of a French citizenship was seen as an automatic forfeiture of his Ivorian citizenship, and Laurent Gbagbo, the country’s former president who was barred over a 2018 criminal conviction.

Two opposition candidates were also prohibited from running in Tanzania, namely Chadema’s Tundu Lissu, who spent two months in jail for treason over his calls for fair elections, and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo.

Irregularities 

With the questionable disqualification of key challengers, many have alleged irregularities in the three elections. 

Even before this year’s polls, Cameroon has often been portrayed as a country practicing electoral autocracy — meaning it holds elections regularly, but ones that fall short of democratic standards. 

Opposition bet Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who placed second according to the Constitutional Court’s results, claimed he had won the October 12 vote with a 54.8% share of votes, based on partial data. 

Allegations of irregularities in the Ivorian polls primarily stem from the removal of key candidates from the ballots, resulting in what observers label as a “non-competitive” election. Residents said the election was held under a climate of fear, too, with a heavy police presence observed in the days leading up to, and after, the vote. 

In Tanzania, evidence of electoral fraud was more blatant, as the country entered an information blackout with the internet shut down. The European Union later slammed the “lack of level playing field” and “large number of fatalities and significant injuries” in the polls.

Protest and violence

Four protesters were killed a day before Biya’s proclamation in Cameroon, with many more reported to be hurt in demonstrations that have taken over major parts of the country, including its commercial capital, Douala. 

Biya has acknowledged this violence, but his government was quick to flip the script, blaming “perpetrators and instigators” who alleged electoral fraud for fuelling post-election chaos.

Meanwhile, protests in Ivory Coast had largely been quashed by the government as dozens of demonstrators were arrested for public order offences, in what Amnesty International described as a clear sign of repression.

Post-election violence in Tanzania was the most alarming, as the opposition claimed the death toll had reached 700. The actual count, they said, could be much higher as more killings took place during a nighttime curfew. 

Tanzania’s foreign minister dismissed the violence as a "few isolated pockets of incidents here and there,” adding the internet shutdown was a necessary measure to save lives. 

Nearly nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote on Saturday, but turnout was around 50 percent, a figure comparable to the 2010 and 2015 elections , yet well below the 80 percent participation seen in the first round of the 2010 poll.

The election , held on October 25, excluded Ouattara’s most formidable rivals. Former President Laurent Gbagbo was barred from running due to a criminal conviction, while former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam was disqualified for holding French citizenship. With both sidelined, observers say the path was clear for Ouattara’s “landslide victory.”

Among the remaining candidates, Jean-Louis Billon, a former commerce minister, received 3.09 percent of the vote, while former First Lady Simone Gbagbo garnered 2.42 percent, according to official results .

Ouattara, who has ruled since 2011, has described this new mandate as one of “generational transition,” promising to guide the country toward a younger political era. However, critics argue that such pledges have faded into repetition, with little sign of genuine renewal.

In 2016, a new constitution reset presidential term limits, legally allowing Ouattara to run again.

Supporters credit Ouattara with steering the Ivory Coast toward economic revival, boasting annual growth rates near six percent and a surge in infrastructure development. They argue his steady leadership has safeguarded the country from the instability that has engulfed parts of the Sahel region.

This concludes our live coverage of the October 25 Côte d’Ivoire elections. Vote counting is currently in progress. Follow Global South World for further updates as we await the official results from the Independent Electoral Commission.

18:05 GMT: Polls close in Côte d'Ivoire presidential election, with Ouattara eyeing a fourth term amid global scrutiny.

17:14 GMT: Polls are expected to close at 18:00 GMT

16:40 GMT: Ballot boxes have been destroyed and electoral materials vandalized in several polling stations in the sub-prefecture of Zaguiéta, particularly in Biegon, Dianoufla, Tofla, Bounantinfla, and Banonfla.

15:42 GMT: The CEI provisionally bans polling stations from the media

15:36 GMT: Presidential Candidate and sitting president Alassane Ouattara addresses the media after casting his vote

15:30 GMT: Electoral Observers monitor the voting process across several polling stations.

14:03 GMT: Presidential candidates Jean-Louis Billon and Henriette Lagou cast their votes. 60-year-old Louis Billon served as minister under President Ouattara’s first two terms. First as Minister of Trade, Crafts and SME between 2012 and 2016 and then as Minister of Commerce from 2016 to 2017. Alongside Jacqueline-Claire Kouangoua, Lagou, 66, a well-known advocate for women's rights and a former minister under former President Gbagbo, was one of the first two women to run for president of Côte d'Ivoire in the 2015 presidential election.

13:40 GMT : At a polling station of the Lycee Saint-Marie de Cocody in Abidjan, presidential candidate Ahoua Don Mello casts his ballot

13:27 GMT: The entire country is set up to enable "voters to exercise their right to vote in complete safety," says Ivorian Minister of the Interior, Vagondo Diomande

12:40 GMT : Members of the Ivorian diaspora gathered at polling stations in Paris to vote. Footage captured officials from the Independent Electoral Commission assisting voters amid large crowds both inside and outside the venue. One voter described participating as a civic duty.

12:15 GMT :  83-year-old President Ouattara, seeking a fourth consecutive term, votes alongside his wife Dominique Ouattara at a polling station at the Lycee Saint-Marie de Cocody in Abidjan

12:07 GMT: Simone Gbagbo, candidate of the Movement of Skilled Generations and wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo, casts her vote at a polling station inside a school in Abidjan

12:00 GMT : 5 hours since polls were officially opened, although voting at most centres commenced later than the stipulated time, polls are expected to officially be closed by 18:00 GMT , according to the CEI.

11:52 GMT : Ivorian women's rights advocate Laetitia Carelle Goli urges the new administration to put women's rights first, create a framework to stop femicide, and open up public space

10:43 GMT: Will Ivorians choose continuity or change at the polls today?

10:05 GMT: 3 hours after polls opened, voting continues smoothly with no reports of violence or electoral malpractice. The first voters have already cast their ballots.

9:26 GMT: Polls open in neighbouring West African countries as Ivorian expats vote at foreign embassies

8:58 GMT: Representatives of the African Union and ECOWAS visit first polling station

8:15 GMT: The ghost of 2020: Will Ivory Coast avoid another election crisis?

Many Ivorians are haunted by memories of 2020, a year that reignited violent divisions, cost dozens of lives, and cast a long shadow over the country’s democratic future. Today, the same patterns are emerging again: disputed candidacies, allegations of a corrupted voter list, arrests of protestors and journalists, and a president pushing past term limits.

“People are supposed to be in the streets for three or four days until the guy changes position...But some people are afraid,” an Ivorian journalist told Global South World .

7:44 GMT: Ivorians in France queue in their numbers at the Embassy to cast their votes

7:11 GMT: Over 66 African Union observers have been deployed to witness the election

7:00 GMT: Polls open across various polling centres nationwide as voters line up to cast their ballots

00:22 GMT: Electoral materials at one of the polling station storage facilities a few hours prior to the opening of polling stations on election day

22:44 GMT October 24: A computer programmer responsible for managing the server for publishing Côte d'Ivoire’s presidential election results on Abidjan.net was urgently summoned by the Presidency’s communication unit after an error revealed details of a prearranged plan allegedly linked to President Alassane Dramane Ouattara. The mistake occurred when the programmer entered Friday, October 24, 2025, instead of Saturday, October 25, 2025, the official election date. Following the incident, Ouattara reportedly contacted the president of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) for clarification regarding the error.

19:42 GMT October 24: On the eve of the presidential election, the president of Côte d’Ivoire’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), Coulibaly-Kuibiert Ibrahime, addressed the nation, urging citizens to exercise their civic duty with calm, discipline, and confidence

17:55 GMT October 24: Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice-President of Nigeria and Head of the Joint ECOWAS-African Union Election Observation Mission (EOM), meets with President Ouattara.

Prof. Osinbajo also held a series of meetings from 21 to 23 October in Abidjan with key electoral stakeholders, including Ivorian officials, political party representatives, African ambassadors, and ECOWAS observers. He met with members of the Independent Electoral Commission, the Constitutional Council, and other national institutions to assess the electoral process and security preparations.

Polls are expected to open at 07:00 GMT and close at 18:00 GMT across all polling stations.

What you need to know

The vote comes at a time when the country is balancing rapid economic growth with persistent political divisions, and the outcome could redefine both its democratic trajectory and its regional role.

At the centre of this year’s race is President Alassane Ouattara, who has led the country since 2011. His  decision  to seek a fourth term has reignited debate over constitutional limits and political succession. Supporters argue that his leadership has brought stability and economic progress, while critics say his continued presence risks undermining democratic norms in a country still haunted by memories of the 2010–2011 post-electoral crisis, which left thousands dead.

Electoral system and voter roll

Under Côte d’Ivoire’s two-round electoral system, a candidate must secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright. If no one achieves that threshold, the top two contenders advance to a runoff.

Over 20,000 polling stations are expected nationwide; however, questions remain about voter registration accuracy and access for displaced or rural populations.

When will the results be announced?

The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is managing the process and is expected to release provisional results within five days, after which the Constitutional Council will certify the final outcome.

Who’s on the ballot — and who isn’t

The final candidate list has been sharply reduced after the electoral court validated just five contenders out of roughly sixty submissions. Among those cleared to run are Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, the former first lady, and several lesser-known opposition figures.

However, two of the most prominent figures,  Laurent Gbagbo , the former president, and  Tidjane Thiam,  ex-Credit Suisse CEO, have been barred from contesting. Authorities cited legal and nationality issues, but the disqualifications have deepened claims that the political space is being narrowed. Both men command significant popular support, and their exclusion could shape voter turnout and legitimacy perceptions.

High stakes for democracy

For many Ivorians, this election is not only about leadership but also about trust in the democratic process. The  2020 vote  was marred by boycotts and sporadic violence, and observers fear similar tensions if opposition candidates or their supporters feel sidelined. With the memory of past unrest still vivid, maintaining peace will be a critical challenge for the government and security forces.

Economic backdrop

Côte d’Ivoire’s election also matters beyond its borders. The country is a major economic hub and the  world’s top cocoa producer,  serving as a bellwether for West Africa’s political and economic health. A credible and peaceful election would reinforce investor confidence and regional stability. Conversely, a disputed process could add to the wave of uncertainty already rippling across the sub-region, where coups and contested polls have become more common.

While the government touts strong GDP growth and major infrastructure projects, many Ivorians remain frustrated by rising living costs and persistent unemployment, particularly among youth. Rural voters, especially in cocoa-producing areas, have voiced concerns about uneven development and limited access to basic services. For them, the election represents a chance to push for policies that feel more inclusive and grounded in daily realities.

These socioeconomic issues could ultimately drive voter sentiment more than partisan loyalty. Whoever wins will inherit the task of balancing investment-driven growth with equitable development, in a country where prosperity and inequality often coexist uneasily.

Ivorians are hoping this election can consolidate two decades of hard-won peace and stability.

At the centre of this year’s race is President Alassane Ouattara, who has led the country since 2011. His decision to seek a fourth term has reignited debate over constitutional limits and political succession. Supporters argue that his leadership has brought stability and economic progress, while critics say his continued presence risks undermining democratic norms in a country still haunted by memories of the 2010–2011 post-electoral crisis, which left thousands dead.

Under Côte d’Ivoire’s two-round electoral system, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright. If no one achieves that threshold, the top two contenders advance to a runoff. The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is overseeing preparations, with over 20,000 polling stations expected nationwide. However, questions remain about voter registration accuracy and access for displaced or rural populations.

Who’s on the ballot — and who isn’t

The final candidate list has been sharply reduced after the electoral court validated just five contenders out of roughly sixty submissions. Among those cleared to run are Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, the former first lady, and several lesser-known opposition figures.

However, two of the most prominent figures, Laurent Gbagbo , the former president, and Tidjane Thiam, ex-Credit Suisse CEO, have been barred from contesting. Authorities cited legal and nationality issues, but the disqualifications have deepened claims that the political space is being narrowed. Both men command significant popular support, and their exclusion could shape voter turnout and legitimacy perceptions.

High stakes for democracy

For many Ivorians, this election is not only about leadership but also about trust in the democratic process. The 2020 vote was marred by boycotts and sporadic violence, and observers fear similar tensions if opposition candidates or their supporters feel sidelined. With the memory of past unrest still vivid, maintaining peace will be a critical challenge for the government and security forces.

Côte d’Ivoire’s election also matters beyond its borders. The country is a major economic hub and the world’s top cocoa producer, serving as a bellwether for West Africa’s political and economic health. A credible and peaceful election would reinforce investor confidence and regional stability. Conversely, a disputed process could add to the wave of uncertainty already rippling across the sub-region, where coups and contested polls have become more common.

While the government touts strong GDP growth and major infrastructure projects, many Ivorians remain frustrated by rising living costs and persistent unemployment, particularly among youth. Rural voters, especially in cocoa-producing areas, have voiced concerns about uneven development and limited access to basic services. For them, the election represents a chance to push for policies that feel more inclusive and grounded in daily realities.

These socioeconomic issues could ultimately drive voter sentiment more than partisan loyalty. Whoever wins will inherit the task of balancing investment-driven growth with equitable development, in a country where prosperity and inequality often coexist uneasily.

Ivorians are hoping this election can consolidate two decades of hard-won peace and stability.

“People are supposed to be in the streets for three or four days until the guy changes position,” an Ivorian journalist told me in a recent interview. “But some people are afraid."

"Do you know that since the day the guy took power in 2010, until today, there have been some people in jail? Can you believe this?" he added.

That fear is not unfounded. In the lead-up to the 2020 election , at least 85 people were killed in political violence after President Alassane Ouattara announced he would run for a third term, a move widely seen as unconstitutional at the time.

The opposition boycotted the vote, labelling it a “constitutional coup,” and the resulting low-turnout election saw Ouattara claim over 94% of the vote.

The current tensions lie in the electoral list, which opposition leaders claim is deliberately packed with non-Ivorian names to tip the scales in favour of the ruling party.

“Even if it is Jesus Christ, this president will win,” said the journalist. “Because he has put so many foreign people inside.”

The 2002 civil war and the post-electoral crisis of 2010 were both rooted in disputes over who qualifies as truly Ivorian . In a country with a significant immigrant population, opposition leaders say Ouattara’s electoral commission is exploiting that legacy to manufacture loyalty through questionable registrations.

Efforts to audit or revise the register have been rebuffed. “What is the most important? It is to check one by one, all people on the list to see if they are Ivorian or not. The guy will refuse. Because if this list is cleared, he will never win — never, never, never.”

Many fear a repeat of 2020’s violence , or worse. The opposition has signalled that unless the electoral list is revised and all qualified candidates reinstated, they may reject the results outright. “I’m not sure this election will be held,” the journalist confessed. “If on the 25th of this month the election is not held, from the 26th morning he is no more the president. There will be someone — not involved in politics — to organise it.” It’s a scenario that edges the country close to *constitutional rupture*.

Should protests escalate or the vote be widely discredited, international mediation may be required, as was the case in 2011, when post-election violence ended only after French and UN troops intervened. For now, Ivorians live with a sense of déjà vu.

In a Global South World interview, an Ivorian journalist shared fears over the integrity of the voter list, alleging that it includes thousands of foreign nationals, some of whom, he claims, are being used to swing the vote.

“If we go to the election with this electoral list, even if it is Jesus Christ, this president will win. Because he has put so many foreign people inside,” the journalist who spoke to Global South World on condition of anonymity. “There are some women inside who have 100 children. He will win. It is in his favour.”

“The real objective of the opposition is to make sure the election is not held on the 25th. Because if it is not held, from the 26th morning, he is no longer president,” the journalist added.

“Let us suppose the guy accepts that two principal opponents come on the list, no problem. There will be another problem. Because if the list is not cleaned, he will still win,” the journalist explained.

Côte d’Ivoire hosts a large immigrant population , and disputes over nationality and voter eligibility have long been volatile issues in its politics.

Conflicts in the 2000s were partly fueled by debates over who counted as “Ivorian”, a nationality issue now re-emerging and “raising concerns about the smooth running of the vote”

The final voter register lists 8.7 million people (in a country of 30 million, almost half under 18), yet authorities have ruled out any further revisions ahead of the election.

Critics say this refusal to audit the list despite reported irregularities undermines transparency. With the electoral commission insisting it’s independent and “respecting decisions of an independent judiciary,” the opposition remains sceptical

They argue that only a cleaned-up, credible voter list, free of unqualified or duplicate entries, can produce a legitimate outcome.

President Ouattara is seeking what opposition leaders describe as an unconstitutional fourth term, having already served since 2010.

“What is the most important? It is to check one by one, all people on the list, to see if they are Ivorian or not. The guy will refuse. Because if this list is cleared, he will never win – never, never, never,” the journalist added.

Simone Gbagbo: From first lady to opposition leader

Among Ouattara’s challengers is Simone Gbagbo, 76, a veteran political figure and former first lady. Once a close ally of her ex-husband and former president Laurent Gbagbo, she was arrested alongside him in 2011 after post-election violence that left around 3,000 people dead.

Convicted of crimes against the state and sentenced to 20 years in prison, she was granted amnesty in 2018. Now leading the Movement of Skilled Generations party, founded in 2022, Gbagbo has positioned herself as a voice for social justice . At her campaign launch early in October, she acknowledged Ouattara’s infrastructure gains but said Ivorians were demanding better health care and jobs.

Jean-Louis Billon: The Business-focused reformist

Businessman and former trade minister Jean-Louis Billon, 60, is contesting the election under the Democratic Congress, a coalition of 18 parties and movements. Billon had initially sought to represent the main opposition Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) but was sidelined after the party’s leader, Tidjane Thiam, was disqualified over dual nationality issues.

Billon has promised to modernize the public sector, curb corruption, and attract more private investment. He has also pledged to move some government offices to the political capital, Yamoussoukro, and to amend laws that restrict dual citizenship. “It’s time for Ouattara and his generation to leave the scene,” Billon said in a recent interview with Reuters.

Ahoua Don Mello: The independent nationalist

Ahoua Don Mello, 67, a former spokesperson for Laurent Gbagbo during the 2010–11 crisis, is running as an independent after being expelled from Gbagbo’s African People’s Party (PPA-CI) for defying its election boycott. He argues that participating in the vote is essential to avoid a repeat of 2020, when the opposition’s boycott handed Ouattara a landslide victory. Don Mello has called for Ivory Coast to abandon the CFA franc currency and revise its defence agreements with France . While critics accuse him of pushing a pro-Russian agenda, he recently told France 24 that he was not “Vladimir Putin’s man.”

Henriette Lagou Adjoua: The centrist advocate for women

Henriette Lagou Adjoua, 66, a former minister for social affairs and women’s affairs, is also joining the race. Representing the Group of Political Partners for Peace, a centrist coalition, she is campaigning on a platform of reconciliation and gender inclusion.

Adjoua, who also ran unsuccessfully in 2015, has urged Ivorians to heal the “wounds of the past” and push for greater female representation in politics. Her recent book, Why Not a Woman? , advocates for a more inclusive political landscape.

As Ouattara seeks to extend his long rule, the October 25 election will test Ivorians’ appetite for continuity versus change, and whether the country’s fractured opposition can mount a credible challenge.