The governing party in Guinea has asked President Alpha Conde to seek a controversial third term in office.
It follows months of protests against extending the 82-year-old's rule time in office at elections due this year.
And after weeks of speculation, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has announced that he too is seeking a third term.
Ouattara in his independence anniversary broadcast said the global COVID-19 pandemic and the socioeconomic crisis it generated require an experienced leader to steer the country to prosperity.
But his opponents said he lacks the constitutional backing to run for a third term.
Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Abuja, Nigeria.
