Benin – 10th Legislature: Michel Sodjinou’s seat challenged in court

The Constitutional Court is set to examine, this Thursday, February 5, 2026, several appeals related to the recent legislative elections.

In total, four cases are on the docket for the hearing. The first appeal concerns the election of MP Michel Sodjinou, elected in the 19th electoral district. The petition was filed by the citizen Ousman GOME Gomé, who requests the invalidation of this seat.

A second case concerns the 22nd electoral district. It was filed by Olorounto Samuel Chainou, who challenges the election of MP Adjibadé Moukaram Koussonda.

The other two appeals do not target elected officials directly, but address the general framework for allocating seats. Ludovic Assogba has brought a case before the High Court against the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA), requesting a correction to the legal framework for seat allocation.

For his part, Emmanuel Deawado challenges the calculation method used by CENA for the distribution of seats among political parties.
These various appeals again place the Constitutional Court at the heart of post-electoral arbitration, in a context where the legality and fairness of the electoral process remain closely scrutinized by public opinion.