83-Year-Old Ivory Coast President Ouattara Wins Election for Fourth Term with 89.77% of Vote

Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term, winning 89.77% of the vote in Saturday’s election, the electoral commission announced Monday. The victory came in a contest from which his two main rivals—former president Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam—were barred.

Nearly nine million voters were eligible, though turnout was reported at 50.10%, with strong participation in Ouattara’s northern strongholds and low voter engagement in traditionally opposition areas. Entrepreneur Jean-Louis Billon placed second with 3.09% of the vote.

Analysts noted that the absence of key challengers and rising tensions ahead of the election contributed to low participation in some regions. Despite security challenges in West Africa, Ivory Coast has remained largely stable, making Ouattara’s landslide win a continuation of his long-standing leadership.