82-Year-Old Ouattara Wins Fourth Term in Ivory Coast Election

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term in office after winning the majority of votes in Saturday’s presidential election, the Independent Electoral Commission announced on Monday.

The 82-year-old leader’s victory extends his 14-year rule in the world’s top cocoa-producing nation. Nearly nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote in the poll, which took place peacefully despite tensions over the disqualification of key opposition candidates.

Provisional results showed Ouattara sweeping most regions, with voter turnout reaching nearly 100 percent in his northern strongholds. He also made unexpected gains in some southern areas and parts of Abidjan — traditionally opposition territory — where turnout was notably low.

Entrepreneur Jean-Louis Billon finished a distant second, according to commission president Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly. Overall turnout stood at 50.10 percent, mirroring that of the 2020 election, when Ouattara won 94 percent amid an opposition boycott.

Ouattara, who first came to power in 2011 following a disputed election that triggered months of violence, remains a dominant figure in Ivorian politics. His re-election highlights his enduring influence in a region where several neighbouring countries have faced coups and political instability.