Trending 
Benin’s main opposition party, The Democrats, has officially selected lawyer Renaud Agbodjo as its presidential candidate for next year’s election, where he will face off against Economy Minister Romuald Wadagni from the ruling coalition. The announcement was made on Tuesday following several days of deliberations and a final round of late-night talks.
President Patrice Talon, who has led the country since 2016, will not seek re-election as the constitution restricts presidents to two terms. The decision to back 43-year-old Agbodjo marks a significant step for the opposition, which hopes to regain power after years of political setbacks.
According to Christophe Monsia, head of the party’s nomination committee, a total of 34 applications were reviewed before Agbodjo was unanimously chosen as the party’s flagbearer for the 2026 presidential race. Jubilant supporters gathered at The Democrats’ headquarters, where they celebrated the announcement with singing and dancing.
Agbodjo has risen to prominence in recent years as the defence lawyer for several high-profile opposition figures, including former minister Reckya Madougou, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021 for alleged “complicity in terrorist acts”. Seen as part of a younger generation of political leaders, Agbodjo is closely associated with former president Thomas Boni Yayi, the party’s leader, who governed Benin for a decade until 2016.
The upcoming election, scheduled for April 2026, will see Agbodjo, 43, compete against Wadagni, 49, who submitted his candidacy to the electoral commission just before Tuesday’s midnight deadline. While Benin has experienced steady economic growth over the past decade, it continues to grapple with security challenges, particularly jihadist incursions in the country’s northern regions.
