Thousands of activists from Ivory Coast’s main opposition parties, the PPA-CI and the PDCI, took to the streets of Yopougon on Saturday, August 9, 2025, demanding a fair and inclusive presidential election scheduled for October.
The demonstration was a unified effort spearheaded by former President Laurent Gbagbo and PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam, under the banner of the PPA-CI/PDCI Common Front.
The march began at Carrefour Sadiguiba and ended at Place Ficgayo in Yopougon, the country’s largest commune with nearly two million residents. It marked a significant show of opposition strength, with key figures leading calls for political change.
During the rally, Affi N’Guessan, president of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), which has joined the Common Front, stated: “It is a march which must mobilize all Ivorians and all those who do not want a 4th term for Alassane Ouattara.”
He emphasized the urgency for nationwide mobilization to ensure that President Ouattara abandons his bid for a fourth term, saying, “The whole of Côte d’Ivoire must be mobilized to ensure that Alassane Ouattara renounces a fourth term, so that the elections are inclusive and that in October 2025, change is a reality in Côte d’Ivoire.”
Affi N’Guessan further described the demonstration as transcending party lines: “It is a demonstration that goes beyond political parties and is for all those who want change,” adding, “I believe that the opposition has understood that the challenge must be met and for that we must overcome our partisan and personal contradictions to unite, because we must live up to the expectations of our people.”
Highlighting a desire for unity and peace, he said, “The Ivorian people want a united opposition, united for (political) change, and that is what we are achieving. We want peace and peaceful elections.”
Originally scheduled for August 2, the march was postponed due to police availability conflicts surrounding the August 7 military parade, before being rescheduled to Yopougon from an initial plan for central Abidjan.
The protest also highlighted the opposition’s ongoing demand for the reinstatement on electoral rolls of key political figures including Laurent Gbagbo, Tidjane Thiam, former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, currently in exile, and Charles Blé Goudé.
As Ivory Coast approaches its pivotal October election, this demonstration underscores mounting opposition pressure for an inclusive democratic process free from the shadow of a controversial fourth term.
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