2025 Ivorian presidential election: Jean-Louis Billon laments the lack of major figures
Jean-Louis Billon, candidate in the Ivorian presidential election of October 25, 2025, expressed his disappointment at the absence of several prominent political figures, including Laurent Gbagbo, Tidjane Thiam, Charles Blé Goudé and Pascal Affi N’Guessan. According to him, these absences reduce the diversity necessary for democratic debate.
In an interview with Le Point Afrique, the candidate of the Congrès démocratique (CODE) described the situation as “regrettable, but in accordance with the law”, recalling the legal reasons for these exclusions. He notably regretted that Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé did not seek parliamentary amnesty: “They probably hoped for an intervention by President Ouattara, but it was to Parliament that this request should have been submitted”, he said.
Regarding Pascal Affi N’Guessan, Billon mentioned the difficulty of obtaining the required endorsements, while Tidjane Thiam did not meet the conditions of Article 48 of the Constitution. Despite these absences, the candidate believes that the legitimacy of the vote is not compromised, while stressing that the representativeness of the election suffers. “Some alternative candidates did not run, but it remains crucial to reckon with the country’s political realities when vying for power”, he said.
For Jean-Louis Billon, this configuration should encourage voters to mobilize to ensure a change of power at the ballot box. He reaffirmed his willingness to engage in dialogue with all political sensibilities, recalling his personal relationship with Laurent Gbagbo : “I am the only opposition figure who went to The Hague to visit him. We have always gotten on well personally.”
Faced with a political competition less pluralistic than in the past, Billon calls to move beyond partisan calculations and to place the national interest at the heart of the campaign. He calls on Ivorians to unite to open “a new era for Côte d’Ivoire”, based on peace, shared prosperity and collective control of the nation’s destiny.
“Côte d’Ivoire must remain an island of stability in a fragile region, but that requires a change in governance”, he insisted, saying he is confident in the success of a peaceful transfer of power. As a reminder, the electoral campaign began on October 10 at midnight and will end on October 23 at the same hour.
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