Ivorian-French banker Tidjane Thiam secured a decisive victory on Friday, being elected as the leader of Ivory Coast’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party (PDCI).
This win positions Thiam as a key contender for the upcoming 2025 presidential election. The former head of Credit Suisse garnered an overwhelming 96.5 percent of the vote, with his opponent, Jean-Marc Yace, receiving 3.2 percent.
The election, held at a party congress in Yamoussoukro, involved the participation of over 6,000 delegates.
Expressing humility, Thiam accepted the responsibility bestowed upon him, emphasizing the need for party rejuvenation.
The PDCI seeks to revitalize its image following the passing of former leader Henri Konan Bedie in August at the age of 89. Once the sole legal party in Ivory Coast, the PDCI ruled for decades but lost power after a 1999 coup.
At 61, Thiam emerges as a relatively young political figure in the West African nation, returning after over 20 years abroad.
The PDCI aims to address concerns of being perceived as a party dominated by older members, with interim party president Philippe Cowppli-Bony, aged 91, urging Thiam to empower younger members.
Eyeing a return to power in 2025, the PDCI proposed supporting Thiam’s candidacy for the presidential race. Thiam expressed confidence in the party’s potential to regain power, stating, “If Thiam is our candidate, which I hope, we will have the capacity to return to power.”
Thiam, who was once an ally of President Alassane Ouattara before the PDCI joined the opposition in 2018, is making a political comeback after boycotting the last presidential election.
Having left Ivory Coast in 1999 following a coup, Thiam pursued a successful international business career, including roles with Aviva and Prudential before becoming the CEO of Credit Suisse in 2015.
As the great-nephew of Ivory Coast’s first president and PDCI founder, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Tidjane Thiam brings a unique political lineage to his new leadership role within the opposition party.
