Ivory Coast’s presidential candidates wrapped up their final rallies Thursday, marking the end of a heated campaign ahead of Saturday’s election. Incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, 83, is seeking a controversial fourth term that could extend his rule over the cocoa-rich West African nation to nearly two decades. Running under the ruling Rassemblement des Houphouetistes pour la Paix party, Ouattara’s campaign slogan, “For a Great Nation,” has dominated billboards across the country as 8.7 million registered voters prepare to cast their ballots.

Thousands of supporters gathered in central Abidjan to cheer the president at his closing rally overlooking the city’s new bridges. In a defiant message to his critics, Ouattara declared, “The dogs are barking but the caravan has moved already,” signaling confidence in an easy victory. Meanwhile, opposition figures including former first lady Simone Gbagbo in Aboisso and ex-commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon in Bouake made passionate final pleas, though analysts say their chances remain slim after key opposition heavyweights — former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam and ex-president Laurent Gbagbo — were disqualified from running.

The exclusions have fueled protests across the country, leading to hundreds of arrests and raising fears of renewed post-election violence. In Abidjan, normally bustling streets have fallen quiet, with shops shuttered and residents wary of unrest. The city’s landscape is plastered with Ouattara’s smiling portrait, while his rivals’ posters are few and far between. “Ouattara will win in the first round,” said 25-year-old supporter Ange Ouattara. “The others are opponents just for the sake of opposition.”