Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady of Ivory Coast, has declared her candidacy for the country’s 2025 presidential election, promising to reshape the nation’s future. Known as the “Iron Lady,” the 75-year-old made her announcement during the inaugural convention of her political movement, the Movement of the Capable Generations, in Moossou, near Abidjan.
“I have agreed to be a candidate in the presidential election of October 2025,” said Gbagbo, outlining her vision of a modern, prosperous Ivory Coast within a strong and respected Africa.
“Because I deeply believe that every Ivorian, whatever their condition, is capable, if they really want to, of transcending all kinds of hardship in order to dream, to create, to build and to succeed,” the 75-year-old added.
Simone Gbagbo was arrested in 2011 alongside her then-husband, ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, following a post-election crisis that left 3,000 people dead. Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to accept defeat in the 2010 election led to violence, culminating in his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. He was later acquitted, while Simone Gbagbo served part of a 20-year prison sentence for undermining state security before being granted amnesty in 2018.
Simone and Laurent Gbagbo divorced in 2023, and the upcoming election could have set the former couple against each other had Laurent not been ruled ineligible due to a prior conviction. Other candidates, including ex-prime minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan and former trade minister Jean-Louis Billon, have also declared their intentions to run.
President Alassane Ouattara, who defeated Laurent Gbagbo in 2010, has yet to announce whether he will seek a fourth term.
Simone Gbagbo’s candidacy adds intrigue to Ivory Coast’s political landscape as the nation looks ahead to an election pivotal to its stability and progress.
