One year ahead of Côte d’Ivoire’s presidential election, former minister Jean-Louis Billon, who is also a prominent member of the PDCI (Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire), has announced his candidacy. He made this declaration over the weekend during a meeting with party supporters and family members in Dabakala, a town in the country’s central-northern region.

Billon expressed his intention to run with the goal of winning and urged that the upcoming party convention—where the PDCI, led by Tidjane Thiam, will choose its candidate—be conducted democratically, without favoritism

Francis Boniface has the details Albain Ade’s report.