Ivorians are heading to the polls this Saturday, October 25, 2025, to elect a president who will lead the nation for the next five years. About 8.7 million registered voters are expected to take part in the two-round election to choose among five candidates approved by the Constitutional Council: incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, Madam Simone Éhivet Gbagbo, Mr. Jean-Louis Billon, Mr. Ahoua Don Mello, and Madam Henriette Lagou Adjoua.
A joint ECOWAS–African Union observer mission, led by Professor Yemi Osinbajo, alongside Mr. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, head of the AU delegation; Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and Peace; Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Ambassador Fanta Cissé, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire; and several other senior officials, visited polling stations in Cocody, Abobo, and Koumassi municipalities in Abidjan to monitor the opening of voting operations.
Another ECOWAS delegation, headed by H.E. Baboucarr Blaise Ismaïla Jagne, also toured additional polling centers in Abidjan, the country’s economic hub and largest city.
By midday, Professor Osinbajo had received briefings from ECOWAS experts stationed in the ECOWAS Situation Room and from members of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP–Côte d’Ivoire) electoral platform.
After assessing the situation based on field reports and updates from the long-term ECOWAS observation team, the head of the joint ECOWAS–AU mission commended the voter turnout, particularly the strong participation of women, and noted the “calm and peaceful atmosphere” that characterized the day’s proceedings. He urged Ivorians to maintain this peaceful spirit and to allow the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) to carry out its duties without interference.
He further appealed to all political actors to respect the results as announced by the legally mandated authorities and to address any disputes through lawful and peaceful means.
Alongside ECOWAS, other international and regional organizations—including the African Union (AU), the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN-SAD), and the Council of the Entente—also deployed observer missions across the country.
Following the compilation of reports from the 250 ECOWAS and AU observers deployed nationwide, the head of the ECOWAS Electoral Observation Mission is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday, October 27, 2025, to deliver a preliminary statement on the conduct of the elections.