Ivory Coast: Tidjane Thiam, former boss of Prudential and Credit Suisse, is aiming for the presidency, but…

#Ivory Coast : Tidjane Thiam prepares his return to the Ivorian political arena. The former boss of the British insurance group Prudential and the Swiss bank Crédit Suisse is considering running for the highest office in Côte d’Ivoire, according to the British media The Telegraph.

Little by little, Tidjane Thiam is laying the groundwork for a return to the Ivorian political scene. After occupying the post of Minister of Planning and Development, he had left Côte d’Ivoire and the Ivorian political scene after the putsch of December 1999. Since then, he had not set foot on Ivorian soil and had cut off from the country’s political scene despite the advances of the current president, Alassane Dramane Ouattara.

However, for some time now, the banker has clearly shown signs of a real desire to return to the Ivorian political scene.

If the first act was his remarkable return to Côte d’Ivoire at the beginning of last August, after 22 years of absence, and the confirmation of his political anchorage in the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), at the same time, the British media The Telegraph just gave another sign. The British media claims that Thiam is “considering a candidacy to become the next president of Côte d’Ivoire”. The man even plans to renounce his French nationality, in order to comply with the Ivorian electoral code.

>>> READ ALSO: Ivory Coast: technocrat Tidjane Thiam returns home after 22 years of absence and shows his political roots

Thiam could thus succeed Alassane Dramane Ouattara at the head of Côte d’Ivoire in 2025. For this, he has several advantages. First, grand-nephew of the first Ivorian president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, he could succeed in unifying the supporters of the PDCI.

Then, relatively young compared to the dinosaurs who have occupied the Ivorian political scene for several decades – Ouattara (80 years old), Bédié (88 years old) and Gbagbo (77 years old) -, Tidjane Thiam, 60 years old, could contribute to renewing the ruling political class. Ivorian woman and help to definitively turn the page on the political problems born of the divergent points of view of the “old people”. However, the ground is far from being completely cleared. Indeed, to achieve this, Henri Konan Bédié will have to agree to hand over the chair of the historic party to him.

>>> READ ALSO: Ivory Coast: Bédié, Gbagbo and Ouattara, these dinosaurs who do not want to retire from political life

Then, his outstanding managerial talents could give a new impetus to the Ivorian economy. The man has proven himself in big boxes like McKinsey, Aviva, Prudential and Credit Suisse. In addition, his background in business in Europe and his international aura are guarantees of confidence vis-à-vis foreign partners.

Still, the path to the presidential election of 2025 is strewn with pitfalls. Apart from the fact that the “old guys” are not planning to retire from the scene anytime soon, Thiam could also face other ambitious young people, even in his political camp. This is particularly the case of the ambitious Jean-Louis Billon, businessman and politician, very involved in the PDCI.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.