Ivory Coast bars Laurent Gbagbo and key opposition leader from presidential race

Ivory Coast's presidential race took a dramatic turn on Monday, as two major opposition figures were officially barred from next month’s election.

The Constitutional Council announced that former president Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam are ineligible to run in the October 25th vote. The council cited their removal from the electoral roll as the reason for their exclusion.

Thiam, leader of the PDCI Ivory Coast’s largest opposition party was removed in April due to nationality-related legal issues after acquiring French citizenship. Gbagbo, head of the African Peoples’ Party, Ivory Coast, was excluded because of a past criminal conviction.

Despite these disqualifications, both men had formally submitted their candidacies to challenge President Alassane Ouattara, who is seeking a fourth term at the age of 83.

With their exclusion, five candidates remain in the race, including former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, and former ministers Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello, and Henriette Lagou.

The final list signals a sharply reshaped contest just weeks before the vote.