Years after spending time in a bunker alongside her then-husband and former president Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to relinquish power following a disputed election, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo is attempting a dramatic political comeback. The 76-year-old is contesting in Ivory Coast’s presidential election this Saturday, representing the Movement of Skilled Generations (MGC) party.
She faces four opponents, including incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who is seeking a controversial fourth term. Political observers, however, view her chances of returning to the presidential palace as slim.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Gbagbo expressed optimism about breaking Ivory Coast’s long-standing gender barrier.
“I think this idea (of a female president) is much less shocking than it was 20 years ago,” she said after a campaign stop in Guibéroua, southern Ivory Coast. “It’s good for a woman to run, and not just because it’s me. But if it’s me, then so much the better.”
The Rise of an ‘Iron Lady’
During her tenure as first lady, Simone Gbagbo gained a reputation as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Ivorian politics. Nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” she was known for her hardline positions against opposition groups and rebels during the turbulent years of her husband’s presidency.
Laurent Gbagbo led Ivory Coast from 2000 to 2010, a period marked by a civil war between 2002 and 2007 and an electoral crisis in 2010 that pushed the country to the brink of collapse. His refusal to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara sparked violent clashes that left at least 3,000 people dead.
In 2011, French troops and U.N. peacekeepers, backing pro-Ouattara forces, stormed the presidential compound in Abidjan and arrested the Gbagbos, who had been hiding in an underground bunker.
Laurent Gbagbo was later charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes related to the post-election violence but was acquitted. Simone Gbagbo also faced ICC charges for “crimes against humanity,” but her case was dropped in 2021 following her husband’s acquittal.
In 2015, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Ivorian authorities for “undermining state security” but received amnesty from President Ouattara in 2018, allowing her to re-enter political life.
The couple officially divorced in 2023, ending not only their marriage but also one of Africa’s most well-known political partnerships that began in their youth as student activists.
A Return to the Political Stage
Unlike her ex-husband, who was barred from contesting, Simone Gbagbo is one of the five candidates cleared by electoral authorities. Many prominent opposition figures, including former president and ex–Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, were disqualified—leaving what analysts describe as a “weakened opposition.”
Gbagbo hopes to leverage her legacy as a veteran activist and reformer. Starting her career as a teacher and trade union leader in the 1970s, she was instrumental in championing multiparty democracy in Ivory Coast, enduring arrests and torture for her activism.
As first lady, she was known for her fierce criticism of France—Ivory Coast’s former colonial power—and was accused of complicity in human rights abuses during the 2010–2011 crisis, allegations she has consistently denied.
Despite her controversial past, Gbagbo’s campaign focuses on reconciliation and social welfare in a country still healing from years of conflict. Ivory Coast remains one of West Africa’s largest economies but continues to struggle with inequality, as nearly 37.5% of its population lives below the poverty line.
Amid growing political tension and reports of government crackdowns, Gbagbo urged Ivorians to remain determined.
“Ivorians are angry and frustrated, and rightly so,” she told the AP. “I think the wise thing to do would be to turn out en masse to vote and defeat the candidate they don’t want.”
