Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has been confirmed once again as the leader of the Parti des Peuples Africains – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) during its inaugural ordinary congress. Despite his earlier indications of a desire to step back, Gbagbo’s enduring influence continues to galvanize his supporters, even as the party navigates a challenging period marked by numerous electoral boycotts.
Laurent Gbagbo, who served as Côte d’Ivoire’s president from 2000 to 2011 and is now a prominent opposition figure, was officially reinstated as the head of his political party on Friday. This decision comes as Gbagbo approaches his 81st birthday, despite previous statements in late 2025 suggesting he intended to withdraw from political leadership.
Gbagbo was unable to contest the most recent presidential election in October 2025, which saw his long-standing rival, Alassane Ouattara, emerge victorious. A criminal conviction continues to bar Gbagbo from appearing on the electoral rolls.
His political organization, the Parti des Peuples Africains – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), neither nominated nor endorsed any candidate for the presidency. Following this, the party chose to boycott the legislative elections in December, resulting in its current status with no parliamentary representation and only a handful of mayoral positions.
Laurent Gbagbo’s reconfirmation
On Friday, as the first ordinary congress concluded, the PPA-CI officially reinstated Laurent Gbagbo as the party’s president. This decision had been overwhelmingly approved the previous day through acclamation by the thousands of delegates in attendance.
Upon his arrival on Friday, a smiling Mr. Gbagbo received a fervent ovation from his loyal activists, who had gathered at the Palais des Congrès in Treichville, Abidjan.
“I am delighted to be in this warm atmosphere; I thank you,” Gbagbo declared in a brief statement. He is scheduled to deliver a more extensive address on Saturday in Songon, located in the south.
Notably, in October 2025, Gbagbo, who will turn 81 on May 31, had previously affirmed his intention not to seek the party leadership again and to “refrain from holding political office.”
During the congress, a motion expressing support for the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES) – a confederation comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three nations governed by sovereignist military juntas with strained relations with Abidjan – was also met with enthusiastic applause.
Furthermore, disciplinary actions were announced against prominent party figures accused of insubordination. Ahoua Don Mello, who had controversially run for president in 2025 against the party’s directives, was expelled. Stéphane Kipré, who participated in the legislative elections and was elected as an independent, received an 18-month suspension.
The “Ivorian left,” once embodied by Laurent Gbagbo during his presidency from 2000 to 2011, appears more fractured than ever. Many influential figures from that era, including his ex-wife Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, his former right-hand man Charles Blé Goudé, and ex-Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, have all severed ties with the PPA-CI.
The trajectory of Mr. Gbagbo’s political future will undoubtedly hinge on his re-enrollment on the electoral lists. This crucial step is contingent upon an amnesty granted by President Alassane Ouattara, who succeeded Gbagbo in power in 2011 after a brutal post-electoral crisis that pitted their respective factions against each other.
