With less than four months to Ivory Coast’s highly anticipated presidential election, the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) welcomed a high-level delegation from the West African Elders Forum on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
Led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Beninese President Boni Yayi, the delegation is on a mission to support peaceful electoral processes across the region.
The visit comes at a time of rising political tension.
Several major opposition figures — including former President Laurent Gbagbo, PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam, former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, and Charles Blé Goudé — have been controversially removed from the electoral roll.
Their exclusion has sparked concern about the integrity of the upcoming vote and the potential for unrest.
CEI President Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert acknowledged the importance of the Elders’ visit, emphasizing that the electoral body is currently engaged in a critical phase of the election process.
“We are in the midst of a vital operation involving electoral sponsorship,” he stated.
“This process, which began on July 1 and will run through August 26, includes the diaspora, who have a constitutional role in choosing the next president.”
Due to the commission’s global engagement, Coulibaly-Kuibiert explained, many CEI members are deployed abroad to coordinate overseas voter registration and mobilization efforts.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi reiterated the forum’s commitment to peace and conflict prevention.
“Our goal is to offer guidance and prevent electoral crises before they erupt,” he said.
“These periods are often tense and fraught with disputes.
The Elders Forum was created precisely to promote dialogue, stability, and peace across West Africa.”
Professor Olukoshi underscored the symbolic weight of the visit to Ivory Coast, recalling the role that Presidents Jonathan and Yayi played during the country’s 2010 post-election crisis.
“Ivory Coast remains a cornerstone of regional stability.
That’s why we’re here,” he added.
The West African Elders Forum, which has previously mediated political transitions in Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria, was established on the premise that enduring peace is essential to Africa’s progress.
“We urge all actors to respect the law and uphold the rights of every citizen,” Olukoshi concluded.
As the electoral clock ticks down, the presence of the Elders sends a clear message: Ivory Coast’s path forward must be grounded in inclusion, transparency, and dialogue — not division.
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