In an exclusive interview with the national press earlier this week, Beninese President Patrice Talon suggested that his predecessor Boni Yayi was working hard to thwart all the reforms he has undertaken since coming to power in 2016. He thus suggests that there is a personal problem between him and Boni Yayi.

As proof, the leader will say later in the interview that there is a "petty war" between him and Boni Yayi and that this petty war "is poisoning the political and social environment" as well as "peace, tranquility and harmony" in the country.

Boni Yayi for full multi-party democracy

He added: "Our relationship is harming Benin." But, in truth, what has really divided Boni Yayi and Patrice Talon since 2016?

If our memory serves us right, there are only two things: political reforms and laws that complicate the lives of the opposition. Let's take the reform of the party system. This reform favors the creation of large political blocs in Benin. The goal is to reduce the number of parties in Benin.

Boni Yayi is in favor of full multi-party democracy as proclaimed by the National Conference of the Living Forces of the Nation in February 1990. Even if the reduction of political parties is desirable in principle, the former president does not want political groups to be forced to federate in order to create large political parties, because that is the idea of reforming the party system.

The FCBE do not enjoy the confidence of the Democrats.

Let us now turn to the laws that complicate the lives of the opposition, such as the Electoral Code. This revised text introduced, for the first time, the requirement for presidential candidates to be sponsored.

Before the advent of the Talon regime, candidates for the presidential seat did not need to resort to the sponsorship of a mayor or a member of parliament.

It turns out that this sponsorship system is what is currently excluding the Democrats from the presidential race in April 2026. The party failed to obtain the 28 sponsorships needed to validate the candidacy of its two candidates because of the misgivings of one of its members of parliament.

President Talon believes that the Democrats could have avoided this situation by signing a governance agreement with the Forces Cauris for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), as permitted by the Electoral Code. He maintains that, even in its moderate form, the FCBE remains an opposition party that had secured six to seven endorsements.

It turns out that Boni Yayi doesn't share this view, because in reality, the FCBE party Mr. Talon is referring to doesn't enjoy the trust of democrats or the opposition in general. This party is criticized for its incestuous ties with the current government. Proof of this lies in the fact that it needed the endorsement of members of parliament from the ruling coalition to validate the candidacy of its two candidates for the 2026 presidential election.

A party is born to conquer and exercise power

In such a context, it's understandable that Boni Yayi didn't want to associate himself with this political party. Furthermore, a party is formed to win and wield power. Why should it sign agreements with political parties that are competing in the same arena? Even if these are merely declarations of intent, as Mr. Talon so aptly put it, they create obligations between the parties.

Boni Yayi does not subscribe to this logic, and that is understandable. It therefore seems unfair to suggest to the Beninese people that the disagreements between Boni Yayi and Patrice Talon are merely a personal quarrel.