Former banker Thiam gives up his French citizenship in order to run for office in Ivory Coast

Tidjane Thiam, the former CEO of Credit Suisse, has abandoned his French citizenship in order to be eligible for the October presidential election in Ivory Coast, while his party considers its options for a contender.

In 2023, Thiam was chosen head of PDCI, one of the major opposition parties in Ivory Coast, making him a strong contender. However, former commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon said in October that he will also run for the nomination.

Thiam said in a video on Facebook on Friday that he had applied to surrender his French passport, enabling him to be solely Ivorian at the time of the election.

In order to improve the living circumstances of Ivorians, I today reaffirm my commitment to strive for substantive change in Ivory Coast. For that, we are battling,” he declared.

Henri Konan Bedie, the previous president of Ivory Coast, appointed Thiam, 62, as a minister. Before being appointed CEO of Credit Suisse in 2015, he worked for the insurance companies Aviva and Prudential, as well as the consulting company McKinsey, after Bedie was overthrown in a military coup in 1999.

Returning to Ivory Coast, he entered the PDCI leadership campaign, which was led by Felix Houphouet Boigny, the nation’s first president.

President Alassane Ouattara, 83, has indicated that he would want to run for a fourth term. Opposition parties, who disputed his eligibility to compete for a third term in 2020, are expected to oppose this move.