Succession wars in Ivorian political parties
DW interviewed ABI staff member Jamila Hamidu on power struggles within Ivorian politics and what it could mean for the outcome of the upcoming presidential election in October 2025.
In Côte d'Ivoire, political tensions within major parties are rising as questions of succession and leadership remain unsolved ahead of the 2025 presidential election. Internal power struggles have emerged within major political parties: On July 31, former minister Ahoua Don Mello publicly announced his candidacy for the presidency. As vice-president of Laurent Gbagbo’s party, the PPA-CI (African Peoples' Party - Côte d'Ivoire), Don Mello positioned himself as a potential successor should Gbagbo remain ineligible for candidacy. His goal was to represent the opposition against President Alassane Ouattara in the October election. However, this move was swiftly countered – Gbagbo responded by dismissing Don Mello from his position. Jamila Hamidu points out that this reflects deeper structural issues in Ivorian politics: "There is no unity among the opposition, and that poses a problem in terms of how to challenge Mr. Gbagbo's ineligibility."
However, this is not only the case for the opposition: "We have two political figures who have been on the Ivorian political scene for more than 20 years. Neither side has prepared a successor. [...] [I]t is not clear who could take over. There is also the question of whether there are any good candidates who can replace them", Hamidu observes, raising doubts about whether alternative candidates would be both politically viable and accepted by party members.
Read her expertise on whether Gbagbo can still rally political forces behind him, and how the absence of a unified opposition – and the unpredictability it brings – could shape the outcome of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2025 election on the DW website (available in French).