ABIDJAN, Oct 25 – Ivory Coast’s former trade minister Jean-Louis Billon has announced his bid to secure the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) nomination for the 2025 presidential election, positioning himself as a challenger to party leader and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam.
Billon’s decision introduces further tension within the PDCI, which has struggled with internal divisions since it lost its hold on power in the late 1990s. Once the ruling party of Ivory Coast, the PDCI has grappled with infighting as it attempts to regain political influence in a landscape now dominated by President Alassane Ouattara.
Tidjane Thiam, who recently returned to the country, assumed the PDCI’s leadership after winning a hotly contested party election. His swift rise has led to speculation that he might challenge Ouattara in the 2025 race. However, neither Thiam nor Ouattara has formally declared candidacy for the upcoming election. Traditionally, the PDCI’s leader has served as its presidential candidate, leaving open questions about who the party will ultimately nominate.
Billon, 59, a former CEO of Ivory Coast’s leading agro-industrial firm SIFCA, also served as trade minister under Ouattara. He has called for a PDCI convention to determine the party’s presidential nominee through what he described as a fair and democratic process.
“I really hope that this convention will be democratic, honest, and transparent, with no tricks or favouritism, no violence, and free from any tribal bias,” Billon stated.