The PPA-CI, led by former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, has issued a formal ban preventing several party cadres and activists from attending its first ordinary congress scheduled for Abidjan on May 14–15, 2026.
The decision, outlined in a communiqué, affects prominent figures such as Don Mello, Stéphane Kipré, Dali Arthur, and Armand Ouégnin, among others. These individuals are currently facing disciplinary proceedings after publicly defying the party’s directive to abstain from both the October 2025 presidential election and the December 2025 legislative elections.
‘Pending the outcome of disciplinary measures initiated against them, the following members are barred from participating in the PPA-CI’s first ordinary congress on May 14–15, 2026,’ the statement declared, accompanied by a list of names.
The upcoming congress, set to take place at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan, aims to strengthen party unity and reinvigorate grassroots support. However, internal rifts have deepened following the suspension of several senior officials who openly challenged Laurent Gbagbo’s strategic decisions regarding electoral participation.
