(FILES) Former First Lady of Ivory Coast Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, President of the Movement of Capable Generations ("Mouvement des Generations Capables", MGC), holds a flag during the extraordinary general assembly of her political party in Abidjan on August 20, 2022. The former First Lady of Ivory Coast, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, announced her candidacy for the 2025 presidential election on November 30, 2024, insisting that she wanted to ëbuildí a new Ivory Coast. (Photo by Sia KAMBOU / AFP)
A former First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Simone Gbagbo, has been cleared to contest in the country’s upcoming October presidential election.
Simone, aged 76 and former wife of ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, is the surprise inclusion in the high-stakes presidential contest.
She and four other candidates including incumbent President Alassane Ouattara are the five candidates so far endorsed by Ivory Coast’s electoral commission to contest.
Mr. Gbagbo himself has been barred from contesting the presidential election. Also disqualified from the race are former Prime Minister, Pascal Affi N’guessan and ex-Credit Suisse bank CEO, Tidjane Thiam.
The presidential election is scheduled for October 25.
Simone Gbagbo and Mr. Gbagbo were arrested in a presidential bunker during the disputed 2010 presidential election.
Source:Ghanaija
