Africa-Press. The party “Forces for Progress for a Rising Benin,” the only opposition party that participated in the presidential elections in Benin on April 12, has announced its departure from the opposition and its official alignment with the presidential majority as of May 24, the date of the inauguration of the elected president Romuald Wadagni, succeeding Patrice Talon.
The decision came at the end of a meeting of the party’s national council in the capital, Cotonou, last Saturday. Its leaders justified the move by citing “repeated electoral failures” and “respect for the will of the voters.” A leader from the party stated that “the people have made their decision, and the choice of the people is binding on us,” adding that the party intends to contribute to the country’s development alongside the current government.
The party’s candidate, Paul Hounkpe, garnered 5.95% of the votes in the recent presidential election against former Minister of Economy and Finance Romuald Wadagni, who won by a landslide with over 94% of the votes, according to preliminary results from the electoral commission. Hounkpe subsequently left the party, deepening its internal crisis.
The decision to join follows agreements the party signed in September 2025 with the “Progressive Union for Renewal” and the “Republican Bloc,” which are the two main pillars of the presidential majority, as reported by media outlets in Benin.
A Political Scene Almost Void of Opposition
The shift of the “Forces for Progress” party signifies more than just the numerical size of the party, as it leaves the political landscape in Benin nearly devoid of opposition representation within institutions, just before Wadagni assumes power. The Democrats party, which is considered the leading opposition force and nominated lawyer Renaud Agbodjo, was excluded from the presidential race due to not meeting the required “endorsement” criteria last October.
This exclusion has intensified discussions about the narrow margin for political maneuvering, after Benin had been described for years as a model of pluralism in West Africa. Observers noted that the political scene has become “largely subject to the presidential camp” just two weeks before the inauguration.
Party leaders presented their decision as an “acknowledgment of the results of the polls” and a pragmatic engagement in a new path. Critics, especially leaders from the Democrats party, see it as a result of years of tightening “electoral rules” against the opposition, including the detention of prominent opposition figures and prison sentences against them, according to reports from media outlets.
In contrast, the outgoing president Patrice Talon presents his reforms since 2016 as an effort to “cleanse the political landscape” of the fragmentation of small parties. However, his opponents argue that these reforms have resulted in a “dominance of the ruling party” that effectively advances a single candidate in major elections.
What Awaits on May 24?
Wadagni, coming from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, is expected to take the oath of office on May 24 in Cotonou, amid a scene where opposition voices are limited within institutions. Media outlets in Benin are questioning the future of the opposition outside parliament and the ability of the Democrats party to rebuild its electoral presence for upcoming elections in a country that recently experienced a thwarted coup attempt in December.
With this alignment, Wadagni enters the presidential palace with an expanded majority, while the shift of the last participating opposition party casts a shadow over broader discussions regarding the future of party pluralism in Benin.
