An Ivory Coast court has ruled that opposition leader Tidjane Thiam can no longer vote or run in the country’s upcoming presidential election, citing his acquisition of French citizenship.
The Abidjan court of first instance made the decision Tuesday, April 22, roughly six months before the Oct. 25 presidential election.
According to the court’s ruling, Thiam lost his Ivorian nationality when he acquired French citizenship, as per Article 48 of the Nationality Code.
Thiam’s lawyers argued that their client was born with French citizenship and therefore the article doesn’t apply. They presented administrative documents to support their claim.
“We respect the judge’s decision, but we don’t share it,” said lawyer Rodrigue Dadjé.
Thiam denounced the ruling as a “denial of justice” and called for dialogue to resolve the situation. The decision effectively bars him from participating in the presidential election.
The case was brought by an elector who contested Thiam’s registration, claiming he was no longer Ivorian. The Independent Electoral Commission initially dismissed the request, but the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.