PPA-CI bans key members from upcoming congress amid disciplinary tensions

The PPA-CI (Parti des Peuples Africains-Côte d’Ivoire), led by former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, has issued a statement excluding several party officials and activists from attending its first ordinary congress, scheduled for 14–15 May 2026 in Abidjan.

The decision follows internal disputes over disciplinary measures. Key figures, including Don Mello, Stéphane Kipré, Dali Arthur, and Armand Ouégnin, face suspensions after defying the party’s directive to abstain from the October 2025 presidential election and the 27 December 2025 legislative vote.

Disciplinary actions and party cohesion

In the official communiqué, the PPA-CI stressed that the suspended members would remain ineligible for the upcoming congress ‘until the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings’. The event, set to take place at Abidjan’s Palace of Culture, aims to strengthen party unity and revitalise grassroots support.

This congress arrives at a pivotal moment, with the party grappling with deep internal fractures. High-ranking officials who challenged Gbagbo’s strategy of electoral abstention now face potential sanctions, underscoring the tensions shaping the PPA-CI’s future direction.