Ivory Coast’s ruling party has nominated President Alassane Ouattara to run for a potential fourth term in the 2025 presidential election, despite mounting opposition and legal blocks on rival candidates.

The nomination came Saturday during a congress of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), even though Ouattara has not officially declared his candidacy.

“He has so pleased us that he must finish the works that he has begun,” said Lassana Kone, a delegate from central Ivory Coast. Another supporter, Honore Adom, added: “He has to accept and listen to the cries of his children who are calling on him to continue the adventure.”

The party’s proposal follows a political shakeup on Thursday when Ivory Coast’s two major opposition forces—Laurent Gbagbo’s PPA-CI and Tidjane Thiam’s PDCI—announced a united front. Both leaders have been barred from contesting in the October 25 election, fueling accusations of political suppression.

“Ivory Coast has made major advances on the economic, social, and cultural fronts, with sustained growth that has made us the envy of many,” Vice President Tiemoko Meyliet Kone told the cheering crowd in Abidjan. The country has recorded consistent 7% economic growth under Ouattara’s leadership, he noted.

But critics argue that the president, who turns 84 in January, is clinging to power and undermining democracy. Courts have disqualified several major opposition figures—including former president Gbagbo, Guillaume Soro, and Charles Ble Goude—from running, citing legal and nationality issues.

Ouattara has remained coy about his intentions, only hinting in January that he is “eager to continue serving” the nation. He is expected to address the issue further at a rally on Sunday at Ebimpe Stadium.

As political tensions rise, the country braces for what could be another contentious election season in West Africa’s top cocoa producer.