Ivory Coast’s president announces bid for a fourth term after changing the constitution

Jul 29, 2025 | 8:18 AM

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said Tuesday he will seek a fourth term leading the West African nation, which is due to hold elections in October.

His candidacy is contested after he changed the constitution to remove the presidential term limit.

The 83-year-old president declared his plan in a televised announcement. He won a third term in 2020 after he initially said he wasn’t going to run again. However, he changed his position following the death of his hand-picked successor, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly.

His most prominent rival, Tidjane Thiame, has already been barred from running by a court because he has dual citizenship.