The former Ivorian First Lady and President of the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC), Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, met on Saturday, January 3, 2026, with her party’s candidates who contested the legislative elections held on December 27, 2025. The meeting aimed to assess the outcome of a vote that ended in electoral failure for the party and to outline strategic directions for the year ahead.

Out of around twenty candidates fielded by the MGC, none was elected in these legislative elections, which were largely won by the ruling party, the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP).

In the presence of members of the party’s leadership, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo congratulated the candidates for their commitment and praised their determination in what she described as a “difficult” and “opaque” electoral context. According to her, the officially announced results did not reflect the reality observed on the ground.

For the MGC president, the value of this participation goes beyond the electoral scores obtained. She emphasized the experience gained by the candidates, highlighting the endurance and resilience they developed throughout the campaign.

“You went into this without money, sometimes without support, without a strong party base, and you were still able to engage directly with the people,” she said, stressing that this ordeal helped strengthen their political maturity and professionalism.

Mrs. Gbagbo also noted that the candidates learned how to design and implement a grassroots program while managing limited financial resources with discipline. She urged them to move beyond disappointment, bitterness, and frustration linked to the setback, drawing parallels with her own political journey during previous electoral contests.

Looking ahead, the MGC leader called on party members to quickly get back to work. “In 2026, we will have to return to the field… we are going to run,” she declared, urging sustained mobilization in preparation for upcoming political deadlines.

Speaking in turn, the candidates and their deputies expressed their gratitude to Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, the party leadership, and the Electoral Campaign Support Body (ACE) for the assistance provided throughout the process.

While mentioning cases of fraud and a sometimes unfavorable climate, they reaffirmed their determination to draw lessons from this experience, which they described as both painful and formative.