Tidjane Thiam removed from Ivory Coast's electoral list after court ruled he lost Ivorian nationality by acquiring French citizenship, sparking claims of political exclusion.

Tidjane Thiam, the leader of Ivory Coast’s main opposition party, has been officially removed from the country’s electoral list ahead of the presidential election scheduled for October 25. On Tuesday, April 22, a court decision ruled that Thiam had lost his Ivorian nationality—an outcome that is definitive and not subject to appeal.

According to his lawyer, Me Ange Rodrigue Dadjé, the court concluded that Thiam forfeited his Ivorian citizenship upon obtaining French nationality. Based on this conclusion, the court approved the request to strike his name from the electoral register.

The question of nationality has been central to Thiam’s presidential bid for several months. Although born in Ivory Coast, Thiam became a French citizen in 1987. In March of this year, he officially renounced his French citizenship in an effort to comply with the constitutional requirement that presidential candidates must not hold dual nationality.

Supporters of Thiam contend that the ruling is politically motivated and aimed at disqualifying his candidacy. They reference Article 48 of the nationality code from the 1960s, which stipulates that acquiring another nationality results in the automatic loss of Ivorian nationality. However, this provision does not apply to individuals who acquire dual nationality at birth.

Thiam’s legal team argued that he holds French nationality by birth, through his father, and therefore should not be subject to the loss of his Ivorian citizenship. Nonetheless, the court rejected this line of reasoning.

In response, Thiam’s camp has denounced what they see as deliberate efforts by the government to obstruct his candidacy. They view the court’s decision as part of broader political tactics to limit competition.

Several other notable opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo, his ally Charles Blé Goudé, and former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, have also been removed from the electoral list due to ongoing legal challenges.