The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Côte d'Ivoire announced on October 25, 2025, that it had filed a complaint against the online media outlet Abidjan.net for "publishing false news." This decision comes after the website posted purported provisional results of the presidential election on the platform, even though voting had not yet taken place.

In its press release, the CEI denounced a serious act likely to "undermine the credibility of the electoral process" and sow confusion among voters. The institution reiterated that it is the only authority authorized to centralize and proclaim the results of elections in Côte d'Ivoire, in accordance with electoral law.

For its part, Abidjan.net acknowledged the incident, citing a technical error that occurred during internal testing of its election monitoring platform. The media outlet issued an apology on October 24, stating that the data that appeared online "in no way reflects the results of the election" and that it was quickly deleted.

Despite these explanations, the CEI believes that the publication may have sown doubt in public opinion and thus undermined the serenity of the electoral process. The case should now proceed before the competent judicial authorities.

This episode comes at a particularly tense time, on the eve of a highly anticipated presidential election. Authorities are calling on the media and citizens to be vigilant and to rely only on information disseminated through official channels.

The IEC reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the transparency and regularity of the October 25 vote, stressing that the official results will be published "gradually and in accordance with legal procedures."