Ivory Coast election: Authorities report ballot box and election materials destruction during poll

Authorities say vandals destroy ballot boxes and election materials for some polling stations for Zaguiéta, for di center of Ivory Coast on Saturday, October 25, as protesters wey no want di election wey dey hapun scata di vote.

But asides dat, reports say di election dey relatively peaceful.

‎Nearly 44,000 defense and security forces bin dey deployed to secure polling places as citizens of Ivory Coast, di world top cocoa producer dey vote for a new president.

‎8.7 million Ivorians na im bin register to vote out of a population of 32 million, but reports say di turn out bin dey very low.

Tension bin don dey ground as 83-year-old incumbent Alassane Ouattara, dey go for a fourth term of anoda five years.

E go face-off against four oda candidates including former first lady Simone Gbagbo, one former minister Henriette Lagou Adjoua, and Businessman, Jean-Louis Billon.

Di election dey currently face controversy afta dem comot two of di prominent opposition figures, former president Laurent Gbagbo and former CEO of credit Suisse, Tidjane Thiam.

Di exclusion of Tidjane Thiam, leader of di largest opposition party, over double nationality issues, and former President Laurent Gbagbo, due to one criminal conviction, bin cause protests ahead of di polls.

Authorities bin arrest over 700 protesters and dem don jail 50 of dem.

Thiam don describe di vote as di "coronation" of president Alassane Ouattara.

Both himself and Gbagbo do refused to endorse oda opposition candidates, instead dem dey call for a boycott of di election.

Di authorities ban protests and deploy over 40,000 security personnel to ensure say peaceful election hapun, as di country get history of political unrest.

Ivorians dey look wit one eye - after one civil war 15 years ago.

Many young pipo want jobs and improved living conditions, dem want change but get limited options ontop di ballot.

Popular opposition leader Tidjane Thiam bin dey disqualified from running for April afta court rule say e give up im Ivorian citizenship wen e bicom French for 1987, ruling wey dey wahala. As for former president Laurent Gbagbo, oga no fit run bicos of one 2018 criminal conviction.

Na bicos Gbagbo no gree accept say e lose election to Ouattara for run-off election for 2010 na im cause post election kasala wey kill ova 3,000 pipo and give trauma to di kontri wey dey very important to di global supply of chocolate.

But Outtara, wey im supporters dey call "Ado" still get ogbonge competition especially from oga Gbagbo former wife and one of di richest men for di kontri. Dem dey popular wit urban voters, but still di opposition dey divided.

As at now dem be for candidates wey dey go up against Ouattara:

Ouattara get support for di north from Dioula speaking communities and e decide say e go launch im campaign for di west wia e don get votes bifor.

Simone Gbagbo draw most of her backing for di west and from di south west wey be wia her ex husband former party get support historically.

Billion get di eye of urban voters and di central regions as e dey promise to mordernise di economy and ginger generational change.

Salifou Sanogo wey be 19 say, "e dey rep di young generation. E go be my first time to vote and seriously, I know say e go win. Ouattara dey too old and tired and no dey do anytin for us. We need chage, na Billion we need".

Di endorsement of banned candidate go make sense but Thiam and Gbabo neva ginger for anoda candidate.

Howeva, Simone Gbagbo dey supported by Charles Blé Goudé wey bin dey close to her former husband and decide say e no go run for di election.