• Alassane Ouattara wins re-election with 89.77% of the votes.
• The election had a voter turnout of around 50%, reflecting apathy among citizens.
• Two major rivals were barred from participating in the election, leading to criticism of the electoral process.

Alassane Ouattara, 83, has been re-elected as President of Ivory Coast, securing a fourth term with an overwhelming 89.77% of the votes cast, according to provisional results from the Independent Electoral Commission. His main rivals, former President Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, were barred from running, which significantly influenced the election outcome, reducing viable competition to candidates without substantial backing or resources, according to aljazeera, reuters, and bbc.

The electoral process saw a mere 50.1% voter turnout, comparable to past elections but significantly lower than earlier years, indicating widespread disillusionment among the electorate. Even with such low participation, Ouattara's victory was largely expected due to the exclusion of major political figures, leading one voter to express that “everything was arranged for Ouattara to win,” highlighting concerns about the legitimacy of the electoral engagement, according to africanews and scmp.

The opposition has raised alarms over the electoral legitimacy, with the African People’s Party rejecting the results as a "civilian coup d'état." Despite this, Ouattara's administration is credited with bringing relative stability and economic growth to the country since taking office in 2011, although critics cite increasing inequalities and economic struggles among the populace, as reported by aa and africanews.