In a significant development three weeks before the October 25, 2025 presidential election, Charles Blé Goudé, president of the Ivorian political movement Cojep, announced his full support for former First Lady Simone Ehivet.
Speaking to his activists in Yamoussoukro on Saturday, October 4, Blé Goudé confirmed that he would lead and campaign for Ehivet, signalling a major consolidation of opposition forces.
” You have just given me a mission to accompany, support and lead a campaign for Simone Gbagbo. I tell you, starting tomorrow (Sunday, October 5, 2025), I am returning to the campaign for Simone Gbagbo ,” Blé Goudé told his supporters, highlighting the urgency and importance of mobilizing voters.
Acknowledging the complexity of his position, Blé Goudé admitted his personal connection to Ahoua Don Mello, another presidential candidate and former executive of Laurent Gbagbo’s party, PPA-CI. “
I am in a very difficult position because I also know Ahoua Don Mello, to whom I am very attached, but I will not be able to support him,” he said.
He urged both Ehivet and Don Mello to “come together to offer a single candidate” for the opposition, while committing to work towards this unity despite possible obstacles.
Blé Goudé emphasized the importance of democratic participation over violence, declaring: ” We must look at the essentials and turn our backs on violence.
Do not lose hope in democracy. A
people who lose hope in democracy allow themselves to be taken in by violence.” He underlined the potential of the ballot box to enact change, adding: ” Others say there’s no point in voting.
They’re going to go and support President Alassane Ouattara again. Change is possible, and change is now.”
The Constitutional Council of Côte d’Ivoire finalized the list of presidential candidates on September 8, 2025, declaring five candidates eligible from a total of 60 applications.
The approved contenders include Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello, Simone Ehivet, and incumbent President Alassane Ouattara.
Blé Goudé’s announcement is expected to energize Ehivet’s campaign, highlighting a strategic move to consolidate opposition votes in the final weeks before the election.
It also underscores the heightened stakes in an electoral contest that could reshape the country’s political landscape.
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