A former Ivory Coast minister fights former financier Thiam for the presidential nomination

Jean-Louis Billon, the former commerce minister of Ivory Coast, said on Friday that he will run against party head and former CEO of Credit Suisse Tidjane Thiam for the candidacy of the opposition PDCI party in the country’s 2025 presidential election.

The PDCI party, which dominated Ivory Coast from independence until the late 1990s but has had difficulty regaining power because of internal strife, may become even more divided as a result of Billon’s choice to run.

Thiam just won the PDCI leadership contest and returned to the country that produces the most cocoa worldwide.

His triumph stoked rumors that he will challenge or succeed President Alassane Ouattara. Neither guy has made an official announcement about his plans.

Historically, the PDCI’s presidential candidate has been the organization’s head.
The 59-year-old Billon was Ouattara’s trade minister and the former head of SIFCA, Ivory Coast’s leading agro-industrial organization. In order to fairly choose the party’s presidential candidate, he demanded that a PDCI convention be held.

“I really hope that this convention will be democratic, honest, and transparent, with no tricks or favoritism, no violence, and free from any tribal bias,” Billon stated in a statement.