Benin: Michel Sodjinou replies to Renaud Agbodjo and accuses Boni Yayi of “sacrificing” Les Démocrates
Following the media statement by lawyer Renaud Agbodjo, who spoke of the disappearance of his comrade and denounced manipulation by the CENA, MP Michel Sodjinou has stepped forward to, in his view, “set the record straight” and point to the “real maneuvers” behind the crisis within the party Les Démocrates. In a forceful statement, he openly accuses former president Boni Yayi of having “imposed his clan” and “manipulated the party leadership” to the detriment of internal democracy.
Michel Sodjinou said he was “stunned” by Renaud Agbodjo’s remarks, which he describes as a “political construction” intended to divert attention from what he presents as a “blatant falsification” of his sponsorship form. “My form was filled out in the name of Renaud Agbodjo without my consent or my signature,” he asserts, adding that this is an act of “forgery and use of forged documents” carried out under the supervision of party leaders and with the complicity of a bailiff.
The MP says he has documented evidence and claims he refrained from filing a complaint so as not to “further expose” a party already weakened by internal struggles. “Those who spoke of my disappearance are lying. I am very much in Benin, free to move and a witness to an unprecedented political plot,” he declared.
Serious accusations against the party leadership
Beyond lawyer Renaud Agbodjo, Michel Sodjinou directly targets the national leadership of the party Les Démocrates and its president, Thomas Boni Yayi. He accuses them of having “prepared in advance” the designation of the duo Renaud Agbodjo – Judes Lodjou to the detriment of a democratic process. According to him, this move was “inspired and supported” by former president Boni Yayi, the party’s founder, whom he accuses of “pulling the strings from the shadows.”
“Boni Yayi sacrificed the party on the altar of his personal ambitions. He is the one who imposed Agbodjo’s candidacy, despite warnings from several MPs,” Michel Sodjinou hammered.
He believes that this takeover by the former head of state led to the party’s disqualification from the 2026 presidential race, a situation he calls “disastrous for the opposition and for Beninese democracy.”
“I’ve never met Patrice Talon”
Faced with insinuations of collusion with the current government, Michel Sodjinou sought to clarify his position. “I have never met President Patrice Talon, except at official ceremonies. I don’t work for anyone. I fight for the truth and for justice,” he said, denouncing a disinformation campaign orchestrated by his internal opponents.
For him, the accusations brought by Renaud Agbodjo are part of a “prepared scenario” to portray him as a traitor, while he is simply denouncing an “authoritarian drift” within the party.
