Benin: Suzanne Élise Tama ousted, CA Banikoara center
Less than a month after leaving the Progressive Union Renewal (UPR) to join The Democrats, Suzanne Élise Tama, head of the central district of Banikoara, was ousted from her position on Monday, August 4, 2025.
Suzanne Élise Tama, head of the central district of Banikoara since 2020 and influential local political figure, was ejected from her post following her recent joining of the opposition party The Democrats, founded by former President Boni Yayi. The news of her removal was announced by the Dabaaru media on Monday, August 4, 2025.
A Vote of No Confidence
Of the 31 councilors present, 28 voted in favor, three against and zero abstention. Prior to this dismissal, 29 municipal councilors had already requested a vote of no confidence against Suzanne Elise Tama for a “confidence crisis”.
On July 5, 2025, in a letter addressed to the president of the Progressive Union Renewal (UPR), Joseph Djogbénou, she was citing a resignation due to “personal reasons”. At the same time, she expressed wanting to keep her post within the communal council of Banikoara. This aspiration did not evidently withstand the ongoing political dynamics.
On July 26, 2025, at a meeting in Banikoara, she formalized her membership of The Democrats party. “I solemnly declare this Saturday, July 26, 2025, our resignation from the Progressive Union Renewal party and our joining of The Democrats party”, she had announced in front of a crowd of supporters. This public commitment to the opposition reportedly hastened her dismissal.
An Interrupted Political Trajectory?
A committed woman with degrees in business law and project management, Suzanne Élise Tama is a seasoned political player, whose history with decentralization dates back to the early 2000s. From Nikki to Parakou via Abomey-Calavi, she has built a solid academic path that has supported her political rise.
While no official statement yet specifies the exact reasons for her dismissal, nor the name of her successor at the head of the central district of Banikoara, this sudden turnaround occurs in a climate of strong tensions between the majority and the opposition, a few months from the 2026 general elections.