Benin: MP Michel Sodjinou breaks his silence and defends himself
In a statement, Michel François Oloutoyé Sodjinou, coordinator of the 19th electoral district of the party Les Démocrates (LD), broke his silence this Thursday, October 16, 2025.
Le parti Les Democrates
In a statement marked by gravity, he criticizes the party’s internal governance, accusing it of drifting away from its founding values under the growing influence of former president Boni Yayi.
“Out of duty to the history of our country, to our party and to my conscience,” Michel Sodjinou said, justifying a speech he describes as well-considered and motivated by the loss of democratic bearings within LD. The party’s former loyalist denounces a seizure of power by a small circle, and a mode of operation that has become, in his words, “closed, dominated by a few.”
Leadership judged to be outdated
Looking back on the 2023 Parakou congress, Sodjinou mentions “humiliating and tinged with regionalism” speeches, a symbol, he says, of a growing gap between the grassroots and the leadership. “The democratic ideal has been suffocated by a leadership of another era,” he laments, drawing a parallel with past mistakes, notably the imposed choices of Lionel Zinsou (2016) and Reckya Madougou (2021).
A controversial presidential nomination
Regarding the 2026 presidential election, the coordinator denounces a candidate selection process “opaque and biased,” pointing to the blank signing of sponsorship forms and the absence of real consultation.
He says Renaud Agbodjo’s name was already settled even before the relevant commission had finished its work.
Michel Sodjinou insists he is not seeking division, but the truth. “I am speaking to save what can still be saved,” he states, while calling for a return to collegiality and transparency in internal governance.