Ivory Coast President Allasane Quatara… Scheming for a 4th term bid in the upcoming October 2025 elections

*Increasingly Becoming Press Shy

     Abubakar Hashim

The jubilation that followed the successful democratic elections and transitions in Senegal, Liberia, Botswana and Ghana, seems to be dissipated by ongoing indications that the President of Ivory Coast, Allasane Quatara intends to contest for the 4th time in the 2025 Presidential elections.

I’ve been to Abidjan twice for a scheduled presidential interview, but I was told the president was “indisposed”.

Quatara, 83, was recently reported by local papers that he broached a 4th term bid. “I’m in good health and eager to serve my country “. He was quoted to further remark that “ so far my party, Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace RHDP, is ready to back my candidacy”. As expected, in his characteristic crafty demeanour, he was quick to add, as he did in 2019, that “…. As of today, I have not yet made up my mind”.

It could be vividly recalled in 2019, when he contested for a 3rd term, against the constitutional 2 term requirement, Quatara dismissed the 3rd term bid, saying “ there is need for generational change in African politics, stating that the French President Macron, then 40, his ( Quatara’s) eldest son, 52, boasting it is time for a new generation to lead Africa”. But, again, in his witty style, he concluded then in 2019, that “I’m not telling you that I’m leaving, be careful “.

He proceeded to contest 3rd term, after his then-anointed successor, Prime Minister, Amadou Coulibaly, died in baffling circumstances in a cabinet meeting in Abidjan in July 2020.

To add weight to his 4th term bid in the upcoming October 2025 Presidential elections, top wigs in his party hierarchy anointed him as their “ natural candidate “ and openly expressed their utmost desire to do everything possible to ensure his victory in the October elections.

President Quatara is threading on a dangerous path to seek a 4th term in office, given the current sad development in the West African countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, particularly the latter, Guinea, where the people revolted against Alfa Conde’s 3rd stay in office, leading to a military coup, orchestrated by incumbent Head of State, Doumbouya.

Quatara came to power in 2010, through the total support of Ivorians and the international community, particularly ECOWAS, when the then incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat, leading to anarchy, in an election widely seen as free and fair.

Over 3,000 were killed and 500,000 were displaced in the bitter struggle to ensure Quatara occupied his legitimate seat.

ECOWAS must intervene to stop Quatara’s 4th term bid. More importantly, Ivorians have the last say to stop him, like what happened in Senegal, when former President Mackey Sall, was stopped by Senegalese. He bowed out and freed former prisoners Faye and Sonko. Faye is now the President with Sonko his Prime Minister.

Alassane Quatara, a bilingual and Harvard-trained economist, has done relatively well, particularly in opening the economy through private sector-led development strategies.

Ivory Coast is, today, the second powerhouse in West Africa after Nigeria.

*Abubakar Hashim is the West Africa Bureau Chief of TheNEWS Magazine based in Sierra Leone. He is currently writing from Nigeria