ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast โ An Ivory Coast court determined on Tuesday that Tidjane Thiam, who is the former CEO of Credit Suisse, is disqualified from running for the presidency due to holding both Ivorian and French nationalities, as noted by a lawyer on his behalf.
After securing victory in an uncontested primary held by his party last Friday, Thiam was regarded as a significant contender against the current President, Alassane Ouattara.
This recent legal decision follows an earlier dismissal by the Independent Electoral Commission, referred to by its French acronym CEI, on April 16, which saw 10 similar complaints rejected. While these cases were considered admissible, they were ultimately ruled as โill-foundedโ by the electoral body.
In a conversation after the verdict, Me Ange Rodrigue Dadjรฉ, one of Thiamโs legal representatives, explained that the president of the court delivered its ruling.
โShe concluded that โฆ Thiam relinquished his Ivorian nationality upon obtaining French citizenship in 1987, thus accommodating the petitionersโ demands and decreeing Thiamโs removal from the electorate list,โ Dadjรฉ conveyed.
Thiamโs legal team opted not to contest the courtโs decision.
Ivory Coast is scheduled to hold its election in October. In 2020, Ouattara secured a win in a contentious election that led to numerous fatalities and saw opposition candidates abstain from participation.