The presidential candidate of the L’Alternative-CI and leader of the opposition parties in Cote D’Ivoire, Mr Seth Koko, has said the opposition parties would make the West African country ungovernable if the incumbent President Alassane Ouattara contested the October 31 presidential election.
He said Ouattara, who was elected for the second term in 2015, was not eligible to seek a third term, insisting that his ambition was a violation of the constitution.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Koko called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the Economic Community of West African States to prevail on Ouattara to step down to avoid plunging the country into a civil war.
The presidential candidate called for the dissolution of the Independent Electoral Commission which he said was subservient to the ruling party, Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace, and the postponement of the election.
Koko strongly canvassed for the intervention of regional and international bodies to avert violence and bloodshed in his country, noting that the opposition parties and the civil society would not allow the president to rule beyond October 31 when his tenure would lapse.
He stated, “The opposition parties are appealing to international bodies to stop Ouattara from seeking a third term which is a violation of the constitution.
“His tenure ends on October 31 and we will not allow him to extend his tenure behind that date; we will not make it easy for him, we would encourage civil disobedience and would not recognize him as president.
“We are going to make the country ungovernable for him if he insists on contesting because he ceases to be the president from October 31. We will defend the constitution of Cote D’Ivoire.
“If we allow him to violate the constitution; even, if he stays for 100 years, he would continue to stay in office. This is the time for all those who have an investment in Cote D’Ivoire like Nigeria and others to stop Ouattara.”
The opposition leader further alleged that the president was preparing the grounds for a civil war through indiscriminate arrest and detention of over 200 political prisoners and sponsored abduction of opposition members.
