Benin: Nicéphore Soglo will preside over the inaugural session of the Senate as the oldest member.

It is Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, the oldest member of the Senate, who will preside over the inaugural session of the Upper House, set for Thursday, July 30, 2026. He has sent each member an official invitation to participate.

As the elder statesman, the former president will lead the work of this first session, prior to the election of the Bureau of the Senate, which will take over afterwards.

Indeed, the inaugural session will allow for the election of the Bureau of the Senate, composed of a president, a vice-president, and a rapporteur, elected for a renewable term of five years according to the rules set out in the institution’s internal regulations. An alternate rapporteur is also elected under the same conditions, but will not be part of the Bureau.

According to the revised Constitution, the president and the vice-president are selected from among the ex officio members who do not come from the Defense and Security Forces. Once this election is confirmed, the Senate will officially begin its mission.

What the Constitution Says About the Role of the Senate

Born from the constitutional revision adopted on November 14, 2025, and promulgated on December 17, 2025, by former president Patrice Talon, this new upper chamber has shifted Benin to a bicameral parliamentary regime, putting an end to the unicameral system that had been in place since 1990.

The Senate is tasked with contributing to the regulation of political life and ensuring the preservation and strengthening of the gains of national unity, national development, territorial defense, public safety, democracy, and peace.

Legislatively, constitutional laws, electoral laws, and those organizing the life of political parties must necessarily receive a non-objection opinion from the Senate before their promulgation.

The Senate can also request a second deliberation on any bill passed by the National Assembly, with the exception of finance laws, regulatory laws, and program laws. Senators themselves are subject to a strict obligation of political reserve: they cannot be involved in or support political parties during their term.

A Composition Already Established

This inaugural session takes place after the composition of the Upper House has been finalized. The Council of Ministers on July 1, 2026, finalized the list of ex officio members, including former heads of state Nicéphore Soglo, Boni Yayi, and Patrice Talon, as well as several former presidents of the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court, along with those appointed by the president of the Republic and the president of the National Assembly.

In accordance with the Constitution, the Senate will consist of between 25 and 30 members in total, with an age limit set at 85 years, although this rule will not apply to the first term.

Furthermore, pending the establishment of its own seat, the installation ceremony will take place in the premises of the National Assembly in Porto-Novo.