As Guinea gears up for its highly anticipated 2025 presidential election, controversy has erupted over the exclusion of exiled opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo from the electoral roll—a move his supporters have condemned as politically motivated and unlawful.
Despite submitting all necessary documentation, including a valid passport, consular card, biometric birth certificate, and national identity card, Diallo was reportedly denied registration at multiple sites in Abidjan, including the Guinean Embassy and a centre in Treichville, on June 25.
His coalition, the National Alliance for Democratic Change (ANAD), issued a forceful statement describing the denial as a “discriminatory, illegal, and premeditated” act designed to sideline one of the country’s most prominent opposition figures.
“Cellou Dalein Diallo is the only candidate capable of winning in the first round,” ANAD declared, accusing the ruling junta of orchestrating the exclusion to stifle democratic competition.
The statement warned of an “electoral charade” and decried what it called an attempted power grab by a military-led elite with no respect for democratic norms.
It added that the move signals a deeper crisis in Guinea’s transitional process, which has struggled to regain legitimacy since the military coup in 2021.
ANAD has demanded the immediate registration of Diallo and other citizens allegedly denied access to the voter roll.
It urged the transitional authorities to honour the Transition Charter, Electoral Code, and Guinea’s obligations under regional and international agreements, including the African Charter on Democracy and ECOWAS protocols.
Calling on the international community to closely monitor the electoral process, ANAD emphasized the urgent need for transparency, credibility, and inclusiveness in the upcoming vote.
Despite the setback, the coalition praised its leader’s “dignity” and “constant loyalty” to democratic ideals, reaffirming his position as a steadfast symbol of resistance against authoritarianism in Guinea.
As the 2025 election approaches, the stakes have never been higher. The exclusion of Diallo—who served as prime minister and remains a powerful political figure—has cast a long shadow over the credibility of Guinea’s democratic transition.
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