Benin – 2026 presidential election: the MICL expresses its support for the Wadagni–Talata duo

The room chosen by the Independent Movement of Leading Executives for a New Benin (MICL) in Porto-Novo vibrated with a particular fervor on Thursday, December 11, 2025. In front of activists, supporters and local authorities, the movement officially proclaimed its support for the Wadagni–Talata ticket, the presidential movement’s candidate for the April 2026 election.

Right from the start, the movement’s president took the floor to greet the representatives of the Porto-Novo and Sèmè-Kpodji town halls, as well as the executives and personalities present. “I welcome you to this historic place that marks the birth of this movement,” he declared.

He recalled the history of the political reunions that began in 2018, when the group still campaigned under the banner of the Union des cadres et personnalités pour le développement de Sèmè-Kpodji. “The fruits have kept the promise of the flowers,” he said, referring to the early successes achieved.

An expanded movement and a renewed vision

Now restructured and renamed the Independent Movement of Leading Executives for a New Benin, the MICL claims a broader ambition. “This is a union that has grown, that has taken other directions through objectives with a social scope,” Abel Hounsa, president of the MICL, explained.

For MICL members, supporting the Wadagni–Talata ticket is a matter of continuity. “No sacrifice will be too great to bring the ticket to win the Marina Palace,” he insisted.

After that transition, he explained that one of the movement’s strategic priorities is civic awareness around voting. “As the leader figure that I am, I must go into the heart of Benin… to raise awareness further,” he argued. According to him, the stake is clear and it is necessary to encourage civic participation for the benefit of the Wadagni–Talata ticket, in order to guarantee “a significant vote for the movement’s candidate.”