—As Former commerce minister Billon concedes defeat to Ouattara in Ivory Coast election

IPNEWS: Former Ivory Coast commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon on Sunday conceded defeat to incumbent Alassane Ouattara in the presidential election, he said in a statement, as partial results showed Ouattara with a large lead in many localities.

Billon was one of four opposition candidates challenging Ouattara, a former deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund who is seeking re-election to a fourth term.

Billon tried and failed to get the backing of the opposition PDCI party, which is led by Tidjane Thiam, the former CEO of Credit Suisse who was ruled ineligible for Saturday’s election in the world’s biggest cocoa producer.

“The initial results place the incumbent President, Mr Alassane Ouattara, in the lead, designating him the winner of this presidential election,” Billon said in his statement, offering congratulations to Ouattara, who is 83.

Ouattara is the heavy favourite in the contest which unfolded without major disruption.

Provisional results are expected within five days.

 Curewntly, Ivory Coast’s presidential election, held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, with vote counting currently underway. Longtime incumbent President Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to secure a fourth term in office. 

President Ouattara, 83, has been in power since 2011. His decision to run for a fourth term is controversial, as the constitution limits presidents to two terms. His supporters argue that a 2016 constitutional change reset his term limit.

Two leading opposition figures, Tidjane Thiam and former President Laurent Gbagbo, were disqualified from the race, fueling opposition claims that the election system was rigged.

In addition to Ouattara, other candidates who contested the election include former first lady Simone Gbagbo, businessman Jean-Louis Billon, and former ministers Henriette Lagou Adjoua and Ahoua Don Mello.

The election was marked by heightened political tensions and protests over Ouattara’s candidacy and the barring of opponents. Security forces were deployed to monitor the polls, and incidents of violence were reported, although they did not significantly disrupt the voting process.

Analysts believe that with the main challengers sidelined and state resources backing the incumbent, a runoff is unlikely and Ouattara is positioned to win. Provisional results are expected within the next few days