The African People’s Party – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), headed by former president Laurent Gbagbo, says it will organize a nationwide peaceful march on November 8, 2025, to condemn what it calls state-sponsored violence and to demand the release of detained opposition members.
Gbagbo, who governed the West African nation from 2000 to 2011, established the PPA-CI after returning from The Hague, where the International Criminal Court cleared him of crimes against humanity in 2019.
Following an extraordinary meeting on October 28 in Abidjan, the party issued a statement rejecting the October 25 presidential poll, which the electoral commission said was won by incumbent president Alassane Ouattara with 89.77% of votes.
The PPA-CI dismissed the result as a fraudulent exercise and accused Ouattara of seeking an illegitimate fourth term in office.
The opposition group also alleged security-force crackdowns during and after the election, claiming at least 23 deaths, numerous injuries, and mass arrests. It cited reports of atrocities in Nahio, in western Côte d’Ivoire, where civilians were allegedly killed and homes set ablaze.
Despite a two-month ban on public demonstrations issued by authorities on October 17, the PPA–CI has called on its supporters, civic organizations, and “all democratic forces” to participate in the planned protest. The party says the march will symbolize peaceful resistance against what it describes as a “civilian coup.”
