In Ivory Coast, Jean-Louis Billon announced on Friday October 25 his candidacy for the convention of his party PDCI-RDA, with a view to the presidential election of October 2025. A declaration which comes while the president of his party Tidjane Thiam is on the ground in the west of the country, to encourage voters to register on the electoral lists.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan, Bineta Diagne
Jean-Louis Billon chose his stronghold, Dabakala, to formalize what he has been repeating since 2021: “ I solemnly declare that I have decided to be a candidate in the 2025 presidential election. I am running to win », insists the PDCI deputy.
Jean-Louis Billon is very critical of his party’s march. “ Experienced executives are not put forward », he laments in an interview with Brotherhood Morning. “ It’s been ten months since we had a new president and we have not yet had a single political office. », further denounces the businessman, who also regrets that no date has been given for the holding of the 13th ordinary Congress of the party.
He was absent during the handover at the start of the year. He was also absent during the presentation of the new PDCI organization chart. Jean-Louis Billon refused his appointment as executive secretary and chose to remain departmental delegate, distancing himself from the general movement led by Tidjane Thiam.
Internally, his approach arouses a certain indifference: “ Jean-Louis Billon only has to participate in party activities: he does not come to meetings of PDCI delegates », Notes a party executive.
“ Jean-Louis Billon is an epiphenomenon for us: our priority is the mobilization of young people on the electoral lists, to broaden the electoral base », Supports Soumaïla Bredoumy, the party spokesperson.
No date has yet been set, but “ the convention will be open to all », assures this manager. But the tone already seems set: on December 22, 2023, by electing Tidjane Thiam with an absolute majority, the Congress had also adopted a “ resolution » designating it as “ the PDCI-RDA candidate at the nomination convention » for the 2025 presidential election.