2026 presidential election: Attorney Adrien Houngbédji backs Romuald Wadagni’s candidacy

In a statement seen by BENIN WEB TV, the former president of the National Assembly and National Conference figure Adrien Houngbédji spoke out in favor of Romuald Wadagni, whose candidacy has been validated by the Constitutional Court.

“I therefore congratulate him on his designation and the validation of his candidacy. I assure him of my active support during the campaign that is about to begin,” he said. Through Romuald Wadagni, Me Adrien Houngbédji hopes this will translate into national unity. “He stated, on October 4 in Parakou, that he aims to be ‘the candidate of all Beninese.’ I hope that will be the case, and that, in that spirit, once he takes office he will become the President of all and work toward the reconciliation of the Beninese people.”, said the PRD leader.

A call for calm and political responsibility

“Finally, like all those of his generation, he is an heir of the National Conference and of all the struggles and sacrifices that opened an era of freedom in our country,” he added. Adrien Houngbédji warns against authoritarian drift and expresses a clear wish for Benin’s institutional future. “I hope that he resists this temptation and, on the contrary, strengthens our country’s anchoring in democracy and the rule of law,” reads the statement.

“The institutions in charge of the electoral process, the CENA and, following it, the Constitutional Court, have just designated the two (02) duos admitted to compete in the upcoming presidential election. Constitutional Court decision EP 25-007 of October 27, 2025, is final. It is binding on everyone, and everyone must respect it.”

Addressing the frustrated segments of public opinion, Adrien Houngbédji calls for restraint and analysis rather than reaction. “I would like to tell those who feel frustrated that, when the jar falls from the carrier’s head, one should not look for the cause where it broke, but rather where one stumbled”, he said.