2026 elections in Benin: CENA calls for the rejection of the Democrats’ appeals
The legal showdown continues ahead of the 2026 presidential election in Benin. After rejecting several candidacies, the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA) has turned to the Constitutional Court to justify its decisions and ask the high court to declare the appeals submitted to it inadmissible.
Cour constitutionnelle du Bénin
The National Autonomous Electoral Commission argued for the dismissal of the appeals from the Les Démocrates party. In its presentation, the CENA summarizes the facts and puts forward strict arguments to convince the Court to dismiss all the petitions.
Inadmissibility for Time-Bar
This is the main argument put forward against the Les Démocrates party duo formed by Vignilé Renaud AGBODJIO and Jude Bonaventure LODJOU.
The CENA points out that its decision was notified to the candidates on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. In accordance with the Electoral Code, the candidates had a legal period of 48 hours to file their appeals, that is until Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 10:30 a.m., the election body indicates.
However, it notes, the appeal of the Agbodjio-Lodiou duo was registered at the Court on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 10:40 a.m., i.e. after the legal deadline had expired, rendering it inadmissible due to time-bar.
The individual appeal of Mr. Jude Bonaventure LODJOU is also affected by that same time-bar.
As for the appeals of Habibou WOROUCOUBOU and Karim GOUNDI, the CENA invokes two combined grounds: their appeals were filed on October 25 and 26, 2025, also after the expiration of the 48-hour legal deadline following the October 23 notification.