Ivory Coast's former First Lady Simone Gbagbo, 76, is the surprise inclusion in a list of five candidates who have been officially cleared to contest next month's presidential election.
She will run against President Alassane Ouattara, 83, who took power after she and her former husband, Laurent Gbagbo, were captured in a presidential bunker during the conflict that hit the country after the 2010 election.
However, former President Gbagbo has been barred from contesting the poll, along with ex-Prime Minister Pascal Affi N'Guessan and ex-Credit Suisse bank CEO Tidjane Thiam. Their disqualification has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the 25 October vote and sparked fears of instability.
Thiam, who was disqualified by the Constitutional Council due to his previous French citizenship, called the decision an act of democratic vandalism and accused the Ouattara administration of orchestrating a sham election to cling to power.
Ouattara assumed the presidency in 2011, following Laurent Gbagbo's arrest after his refusal to accept defeat in the 2010 election. Initially restricted to two terms, a 2016 constitutional overhaul allowed him to seek re-election in 2020, a vote boycotted by the opposition which he won amidst unrest.
Laurent Gbagbo himself is disqualified due to a 2018 criminal conviction for looting the central bank during the political crisis following the 2010 election. Although he received a pardon in 2020, it did not restore his right to run for office.
For Simone Gbagbo, her candidacy is not only politically significant but symbolically powerful in a country where women remain largely underrepresented in leadership roles; currently, only 30% of Ivorian parliamentarians are women.
Once nicknamed The Iron Lady, Simone Gbagbo is poised to become the strongest female contender for the presidency in the country's history, representing the Political Partners for Peace coalition. She and ex-minister Henriette Lagou Adjoua are the only women whose candidacy was approved by the Constitutional Council.
Simone Gbagbo has a long political history including serving as an MP, with her past overshadowed by the violent aftermath of the 2010 elections that left over 3,000 dead. In 2015, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was granted amnesty three years later to foster reconciliation.
Her campaign slogan calls for building a new nation within a sovereign, dignified, and prosperous Africa. Political analysts note that her approval legitimizes the notion that Ivorian women can aspire to the highest office, regardless of their past.
It remains unclear if Laurent Gbagbo will support his ex-wife's candidacy, as they were married for over 30 years before divorcing in 2023. The official election campaign begins on 10 October, and with 8.7 million registered voters, concerns about electoral fairness and stability in the country are ever-present.
Eyes are now on whether Simone Gbagbo's participation can reshape the leadership narrative in Ivory Coast.
