Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo's ex-wife to run for president

The list of presidential hopefuls in Ivory Coast just grew bigger. The latest entrant is the ex-wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo.

Simone Ehivet won the nomination of her party, the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC) at a congress in her native town of Moossou in Iv ory Coast's southeast.

In an acceptance speech, Ehivet listed national reconciliation through an amnesty, food sovereignty, and industrialization as her priorities.

Laurent Gbagbo and Simone divorced in June of 2023 after 34 years of marriage and decades of joint activism.

A teacher by profession, Ehivet began activism as a trade unionist in the 1970's. Her political star rose when she met Gbagbo in 1973.

Together, they founded the Popular Ivorian Front in 1982 to catalyze opposition to Felix Houphouet Boigny's rule.

During Gbagbo's incarceration for war crimes, the outfit was seized by Pascal Affi N'Guessan who has also announced his candidature for the 2025 election.