Laurent Gbagbo remains at the helm of his Ivorian political party

After initially signaling his intention to step down, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has been re-elected as leader of the Parti des peuples africains – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) during the party’s first ordinary congress. Now 80 years old, Gbagbo, who led Côte d’Ivoire from 2000 to 2011, continues to command strong support from his base despite the party’s recent electoral challenges.

An unexpected re-election amid political setbacks

Gbagbo’s re-election comes at a challenging time for the PPA-CI. The party, which did not endorse any candidate in the October 2025 presidential election, boycotted the subsequent legislative elections in December. As a result, the party currently holds no seats in the National Assembly and only a handful of mayoral positions across Côte d’Ivoire.

In the presidential race, Gbagbo was ineligible due to a prior criminal conviction that barred him from voter registration. The election was won by his long-time rival, Alassane Ouattara, who has led the country since overcoming a violent post-election crisis in 2011 that pitted their political factions against each other.

A show of support from loyalists

Thousands of party delegates gathered at the Palais des congrès de Treichville in Abidjan to celebrate Gbagbo’s return as leader. Upon his arrival, the former president was greeted with enthusiastic applause and declared, « I am happy to be in this warm atmosphere. Thank you. » He is scheduled to deliver a speech the following day in Songon, a suburb south of Abidjan.

Despite his earlier announcement in late 2025 that he would not seek another term as party leader and would « refrain from holding political office », Gbagbo’s influence among his supporters proved decisive. The congress also featured a strong show of support for the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES), a coalition of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, nations governed by anti-Western military juntas that maintain a contentious relationship with Côte d’Ivoire.

Disciplinary actions against dissenters

The party took firm measures against members who defied its directives. Ahoua Don Mello, who ran for president in 2025 against party recommendations, was expelled. Meanwhile, Stéphane Kipré, who participated in the legislative elections as an independent and won a seat, was suspended for 18 months.

The PPA-CI, once a unifying force for left-wing politics in Côte d’Ivoire, now faces deep divisions. Prominent figures from Gbagbo’s era, including his former spouse Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, his former ally Charles Blé Goudé, and ex-Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, have distanced themselves from the party in recent years.

What’s next for Laurent Gbagbo?

The future of Gbagbo’s political career hinges on his ability to regain eligibility for elections, which would require a presidential pardon from Alassane Ouattara. Until then, the veteran leader remains a central figure in Ivorian politics, even as his party struggles to regain its former prominence.