Benin – Municipal elections: the LD party denounces a glaring injustice and demands that CENA audit the files.
The party Les Démocrates (LD) held a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon about its participation in the 2026 municipal elections.
Boni Yayi au séminaire de formation des députés du parti Les Démocrates
On that occasion, the opposition party said it refused to accept the annulment of its candidacy by the Commission électorale nationale autonome (CENA).
According to party officials, this exclusion stems from unfair treatment by the administration and the CENA. They claim that, despite the legally granted 72-hour deadline to complete the files, some documents required for submission were refused by the administration even though they were already prepared and printed.
Boni Yayi’s party also denounces alleged favoritism toward other political formations, notably the FCBE, which, they say, benefited from additional time to adjust its files with the CENA beyond the legal period.
Les Démocrates say they have bailiff reports proving that the FCBE was still making adjustments after the deadline, while they were already excluded from the competition.
In response to this situation, the party announces its intention to take legal action to assert its rights and participate in the elections. It is also calling for an audit of the CENA to shed light on how candidacy files were processed.