A court in Côte d’Ivoire has suspended the issuance of a nationality certificate to Tidjane Thiam, leader of the PDCI-RDA, in a move that reveals deepening political divisions within the country’s oldest party.
The decision, handed down on Thursday, April 10, 2025, by the Court of First Instance in Abidjan, has sent shockwaves through the political establishment.
Thiam, once a high-flying international banker and now a key figure in Ivorian politics, is now at the center of a contentious legal battle that could threaten his leadership and his future in the country’s political arena.
Judge Touré Aminata, presiding over the case, issued an order halting the process of granting Thiam a nationality certificate.
This came as a result of an ongoing legal challenge questioning his Ivorian citizenship.
“It would be premature to issue a certificate while the very nationality of the applicant remains under judicial dispute,” the court stated, underscoring the weight of legal prudence in the matter.
At the heart of this legal impasse lies more than just administrative procedure — it is a reflection of fierce internal struggles within the PDCI-RDA.
The legal petition was filed by Valérie Yapo, a party activist who contests both Thiam’s Ivorian nationality and his right to lead the party.
Her move has intensified long-standing rifts within the PDCI, particularly surrounding Thiam’s return from abroad and rapid rise to power.
By calling his citizenship into question, Yapo and other internal opponents are effectively seeking to weaken his political legitimacy.
The court’s intervention places Thiam in a precarious position, not only casting a shadow over his leadership but also creating a legal limbo that could derail his ambitions ahead of the 2025 presidential race.
“I am Ivorian, fully Ivorian,” Thiam’s legal team reiterated recently, pushing back against what they describe as politically motivated attacks.
“This is an unfounded attempt to discredit a leader who has chosen to serve his country.”
The timing of the court’s suspension could not be more delicate.
The PDCI-RDA is currently undergoing a critical phase of internal restructuring, with Thiam seen by many as a figure of renewal.
Yet, the unresolved question of his nationality hangs like a cloud over both his personal trajectory and the party’s future.
Though the decision does not constitute a final ruling on his citizenship, it leaves Thiam navigating uncertain waters — both legally and politically — as he awaits a definitive judgment.
For a man who once governed boardrooms in Europe and now seeks to lead a nation, the courtroom has become his latest battleground.
