The outgoing president Alassane Ouattara, aged 83, is on track for a fourth term in Ivory Coast, with overwhelming scores in several departments, sometimes exceeding 90%.

Nearly 9 million voters were called to the polls on Saturday, and the early results published by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) show an undisputed domination of the head of state, especially in the North, his region of origin, where participation rates approached 100%. In some localities like Kani and Kong, he is close to 99%, while in the South and West, more polling stations recorded lower turnouts, without affecting his victory.

National participation remains approximate, around 50% according to the CEI, while the absence of his main rivals, Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo, sidelined for reasons of nationality and criminal conviction, helps explain these massive scores. This situation has sparked criticism of the legitimacy of the election, especially from opposition parties denouncing a lack of interest from voters and a very marked North-South divide. Like in 2020, Ouattara wins an election largely boycotted by the main opponents, with current adversaries lacking sufficient political weight to challenge his victory.

While the election overall took place peacefully, incidents were reported in around 2% of polling stations, mainly in the South and West, resulting in six deaths since mid-October, including two on election day. These violence incidents highlight the fragility of the country, where around sixty ethnic groups and a significant foreign population coexist. Nearly 44,000 law enforcement officers were deployed to secure the electoral process, and protests by ineligible opponents were banned, leading to hundreds of arrests. Despite these tensions, Ouattara’s victory appears undisputed and confirms his position at the top of Ivorian politics.