He was a close ally of FPI leader Laurent Gbagbo. Following a military coup in December 1999, a presidential election was held in October 2000; Gbagbo, the FPI candidate, claimed victory and became President. He then appointed Doudou as Minister of State for the Interior and Decentralization in the government named on October 27, 2000. On December 5, 2000, Doudou controversially showed firearms on national television which armed forces had seized at a mosque.