Ivory Coast election 2025: Ex-first lady, rich businessman dey try get di power for cocoa superpower

Na dance-dance just full campaign rallies for Ivory Coast but under all di ginger na di worry ova wetin dey happun for di politics of di biggest cocoa producer for world.

Di election wey go hold on Saturday dey very important for di pipo wey don dey banned from running for di office as well as di pipo wey dey run for presidency.

Di President Alassane Ouattara na hero to some pipo for di growth wey e don bring ova di last 15 years to di kontri afta dem face civil war. But, e still dey face backlash from pipo wey see di 83 year old fourth term bid to run for office, say na slap for democracy face, even though di constitution say e fit run.

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:

Even wit di economic progress wey di kontri don go through wit Ouattara, im opponents dey hope say dem fit torchlight di complaints wey poor pipo for di kontri dey face as dem no dey feel di benefits of rapid growth.

Billion wey be di rich businessman wey dey run and di youngest wey dey run from di Democratic Congress (Code) tok say, "di economy dey grow but not for us".

E just dey do judo moves for im rally for Yamoussoukro to show say e dey "ready for di job and dey full of energy", as im add say "young pipo no fit find jobs and di cost of living dey rise". Di politician dey confident say if e enta run-off wit di president den "Ouattara time go dey ova".

Billion bin dey hope to represent di centre-right Democratic Party (PDCI) wia di late President Henri Konan Bédié bin from come.

But di party go for Thiam wey now dey disqualified so as dem no get candidate Billion feel like e go get di backing of PDCI supporters.

But Simone Gbagbo wey be di leader of di leftist Movement of Capable Generations (MGC) don also position her self as di voice for di disaffected and dey believe say dem go vote for her.

Di former first lady dey always smile and wear traditional smart dresses, she be natural campaigner wey know how to ginger her supporters.

Pesin wey pipo bin dey call "di iron lady" bocos of her rep say she dey tough, she dey part of di CPA-Ci coalition of opposition groups wey in come togeda earlier dis year to protest against Ouattara candidacy.

Recently, she tell her supporters say, "President Ouattara don do some good tins but e scata education".

She get background for education, academia and trade unions and her campaign dey focus on rebuilding schools and creating vbeta opportunities to young pipo.

But even wit all di yabis, Ouattara backers still dey confident. Im rallies no ginger like for 2010, 2015, and for 2020 but dem still dey attract pipo of all ages.

Di popular song Coup du marteau (Hammer Blow) by Ivorian rapper Tam Paiya and featuring Team Paiya don bicom di unofficial anthem for im RHDP party as former prime ministers, ministers, MPs and oda pipo wey get mouth to jollificate to am.

Di goment tok-tok pesin Adama Coulibaly tok say, "di president dey in good shape and ready to serve again" as e point to major public works and investor confidence as proof say di kontri dey stable.

But even wit di change to di constitution for 2016 wey allow Ouattara to run for third and fourth term, dis time around im candidacy don make pipo vex and im goment don react to recent protests wit fast crackdown.

Dem arrest ova 700 demonstrators dis month afta one opposition march and 50 pipo bin dey sentenced to three years for jail.

Worry dey say dis fit cause more kasala afta pipo vote.

Di memory of past political kasala still dey clear for pipo mind and dem don send security forces for major cities to stop am.

But many residents still dey fear.

Ahoua Diomande wey be mama of two say "we dey comot Abidjan one week bifor di vote. Each elections dey bring fighting and death".

But pipo like Charm Matuba wey be Abidjab resident wey dey originally come from Congo-Brazzaville tok say, "I know evritin go go well. Ivorians no wan die for politicians."

‎‎E add say, "I just hope say pipo go go vote. All my friends support Simone. She be leader, beta source of inspiration. She fit create di surprise."

Regional loyalties dey likely to be major tin for dis election as dem don be for di past.

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.

Apart from di economy, foriegn relations don also turn campaign issue.

Ivory Coast don dey against di military juntas for Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso wey go from di Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and dey ginger to dey nearer to Russia.

Dis regimes don accuse Ouattara say e dey di side of France wey be dia former colonial power and dey pursue "secret agenda" for dem, but im goment don deny am as dem claim say dem dey support democratic governance for di region.

But dis tori don ginger tensions wit dia northern neighbours. Some opposition candidates like Ahoua Don Mello don suggest say Ivory Coast suppose dey "open to new partnerships" wit Russia and China say di kontri need to diversify dia frinedships.

Dis tok click wit parts of western Ivory Coast wey get anti-French sentiments.

Wen fake news start to dey trend say Ouattara don die for social media last march, di Ivorian authorities bin believe say na di AES kontris start am.

As di ginger of campaigns go soon finish, President Ouattara supporters dey insist say na continuity go preserve stability and economic progress.

Im critics dey argue say anoda term fit ginger frustration and make pipo no trust democratic institutions, sometin wey dey dangerous according to di past.