With Côte d’Ivoire’s presidential election just days away, opposition leader Charles Blé Goudé has issued a fervent appeal for voters to rally behind Dr. Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, positioning her candidacy as a democratic bulwark against President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a fourth term.
Blé Goudé, president of the Pan-African Congress for Justice and Equality of the Peoples (COJEP), concluded his campaign efforts on Wednesday with a pointed message: “Vote for Doctor Simone Ehivet Gbagbo.”
His own candidacy was disqualified earlier in the electoral process, along with several other prominent opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo.
Despite widespread frustration over the disqualifications, Blé Goudé defended COJEP’s decision to remain engaged in the electoral process. “To win, you have to play,” he declared, urging Ivorians to transform their discontent into civic action at the ballot box.
A Call for Peaceful Mobilization
In a speech marked by impassioned rhetoric and historical references, Blé Goudé emphasized the power of peaceful voting over violent protest. “The vote is stronger than the bullet from a rifle,” he said. “Violence destroys, but the ballot box builds.” He cited the end of apartheid in South Africa and recent political transitions in Senegal as examples of transformative democratic change.
Rejecting calls for electoral boycotts, Blé Goudé warned that abstention would only strengthen the incumbent’s position. “Staying home celebrates laissez-faire and creates a victory boulevard for our opponent,” he said, adding that failing to collect voter cards or participate in the election would amount to “a complicit victory” for the ruling regime.
Uniting the Opposition
Blé Goudé called on all sectors of society—youth, women, and workers—to coalesce around the candidacy of Dr. Gbagbo, who is running under the banner of the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC). A former First Lady and long-time political figure, Gbagbo has emerged as the principal opposition candidate following the exclusion of several rivals.
“We are at the moment of choice. The moment of truth that divides. For or against the fourth mandate?” Blé Goudé asked, framing the election as a referendum on democratic continuity and political renewal.
His remarks reflect the tense and polarized atmosphere ahead of the October 25 vote, with opposition forces seeking to galvanize turnout in hopes of preventing President Ouattara from securing another term in office.
