Presidency of the Republic: Who to succeed Talon?

Who to succeed Patrice Talon at the head of the Republic of Benin? The fight is open after legislative won in January 2023 by the parties of the presidential movement.

Will Patrice Talon succeed in imposing one of his men on his succession in 2026 as former President Yayi Boni unsuccessfully tried to do ten years earlier?? The short history of Beninese democracy has shown that each alternation at the head of state, it is an outsider who is rather elected instead of politicians "Made" by the outgoing president. Nicephore Soglo, Mathieu Kerekou II, Yayi Boni and even Patrice Talon were all in their time people of rupture. Everytime, voters preferred new political actors or those who had regained their virginity.

The question of succession arises in these terms when we know that despite attempts to prevent the party Les Démocrates from submitting its list to the legislative elections last January, he has succeeded in establishing himself as a significant player in Parliament. Henceforth therefore, for the presidential election, the candidate(s) from its ranks will have no problem obtaining the sponsorships essential for this election. In these conditions, it is not impossible that an opponent or a candidate supported by the opposition succeeds in upsetting the cards of the presidential movement.

On the side of President Talon, many could be positioned as dolphins. The first major call for mobilization since the professional elections which consecrated, the one that some called the "vice-president" before Benin had a real vice-president. This is Olivier Boko, a very discreet or even secret businessman about whom few Beninese are able to give other details apart from his name and his legendary friendship with Patrice Talon. A friendship which predates the accession of the latter to the top of the State and which seems not to have taken any blows despite the exercise of power, probably because Olivier Boko never played an official role with his friend. Only, his handicap is to appear as a lookalike of President Patrice Talon. Beninese voters quickly tired of seeing the same person lead them could automatically exclude him from their choice on voting day.

Among the early friends of President Talon who could claim his seat are Johannes Dagnon, he also remained very discreet, and the young Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Finance since 2016. But it is not certain that the choice of the Head of State is on one of them given that they come in second place in terms of emotional closeness and practice in business..

In the wider circle, Joseph Djogbénou appears as the man who managed to win the confidence of the president. Younger and more ambitious, he already had a long experience as a civil society actor and defender of the rights of politically victimized people. Above all, he had begun a political ascent by managing to win a seat in Parliament and the post of President of the Law Commission of the National Assembly before 2016. Very quickly, he abandoned his personal ambitions to put himself entirely at the service of the candidate Patrice Talon, of whom he also became the personal lawyer.

As a reward for his loyalty and as a sign of trust, he was in turn Minister of Justice and President of the Constitutional Court. Above all, he agreed to resign from this prestigious post to become a simple deputy again.. This resignation is also perceived by observers as being a way for the Head of State to make him the President of the National Assembly from where he can easily become President of the Republic..

The list of those who dream is certainly long, but within the movement, the personalities mentioned above are the only ones who can reasonably expect to be chosen for the succession to the Palace of the Republic. But who knows?

Pierre MATCHOUDO