Birth of “The 3rd Voice” in Benin: a political dynamism driven by the youth and pluralistic opposition

The official declaration of this coalition was made during a press conference held in Cotonou on Friday, July 25, 2025. At the podium, Jean-Baptiste Hounguè, president of the Pan-African Popular Party (PPP), voiced the initiators’ message.

Alongside the PPP, there are several political formations such as the New National Force (NFN), the National Union of Progressive Forces (UNFP), the National Patriotic Union (UNP), as well as emerging movements claiming to represent civil society and active youth.

“The 3rd Voice is neither an opposition of convenience nor the hidden extension of any current power. It is the rallying cry of men and women determined to put the general interest back at the center of political action,” Jean-Baptiste Hounguè emphasized before the media.

A response to a context deemed locked

For the founders of this new platform, the current political scene suffers from excessive polarization between two blocs which, according to them, struggle to embody the deep aspirations of the Beninese people. The 3rd Voice thus presents itself as a “credible alternative,” driven by a social, Pan-Africanist vision and resolutely focused on popular sovereignty.

Among the priorities displayed by this dynamic: a commitment to profound institutional reforms, the implementation of inclusive public policies, and a desire to restore trust between rulers and citizens. The initiators also denounce the high cost of living, youth precariousness, restrictions on democratic freedoms, and the lack of real pluralism in the media.

A political project in the process of structuring

While the programmatic contours of The 3rd Voice are still to be refined, its promoters assure that work is already underway to offer the Beninese people a true societal project. This, they promise, will take into account the “collective pains,” real social expectations, and above all, the necessity to place the human being at the heart of all political decisions.

“It is not just about conquering power, but about rebuilding a healthy relationship between citizens and the State,” insisted another official present at the press conference.

Towards a recomposition of the political space?

This announcement comes in a context marked by a rise in dissenting voices among youth, civil society, and even within certain religious and professional circles. For some observers, the emergence of The 3rd Voice could herald a broader movement of political recomposition ahead of the upcoming electoral deadlines.

It remains to be seen whether this dynamic will manage to unite enough energy to rise as a structured and audible political force, facing blocs already well entrenched in state apparatuses and power circuits.

Declaration of the 3rd Voice bloc

Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, 

Dear Beninese compatriots, dear Pan-Africans and members of the Beninese diaspora,

It is with a deep sense of responsibility and unwavering conviction that we address you today. At this pivotal moment in our national history, on the eve of the 65th anniversary of our sovereignty and approaching the crucial 2026 deadlines, Benin is called to a moment of truth.

For several years, our country has been trapped in growing political polarization mainly opposing two camps. This bipolarization, far from strengthening our democracy, impoverishes it. It reduces our public debate to personal quarrels, obscures the real development issues, weakens our social cohesion, and prevents the emergence of new ideas.

Since 2012, we have witnessed a dynamic that, instead of uniting us, has exacerbated divisions, locked down our freedoms, silenced our voices, and trampled on our hopes. The massive abstention of over 62% of Beninese in the 2023 elections is a cry from the people, a resounding refusal of this democratic charade and a rejection of a locked system.

We would be right to denounce this situation. But silence means letting it happen. Abstaining means giving up. Only organized action will free us. Faced with this political, social, and moral deadlock, and aware of the urgency of an authentic political alternative for Benin, we, committed citizens, have decided to found a clear, responsible, and inclusive alternative: a Pan-African gathering “The Bloc of the Third Voice.”

The Third Voice is neither an opposition of convenience nor a hidden extension of one of the two dominant blocs. It is a movement of renewal, a different voice, carried by women and men from diverse backgrounds, united by the same will: to put the general interest back at the heart of political action, to place the human being at the center of all our actions.

We reject the false dichotomy between a movement and an opposition complicit in an unacceptable status quo, where development remains an empty discourse in the face of growing injustice and exclusion. We recognize that the people, through their silence and complacency, have sometimes inadvertently contributed to the emergence of disorder, corruption, and inequity. However, we firmly believe in their capacity for transformation and their central role in the renewal we aspire to.

The Third Voice because: 

– We believe that Benin deserves better than endless clashes between two poles that succeed each other without renewal.

– We want to give voice back to a silent majority of Beninese who no longer identify with the current exclusive political offer.

– We think that politics should not be a battlefield of personal ambitions, but a lever for transformation towards equitable, sustainable, and harmonious development of our country.

– We aspire to a popular, humanist, and patriotic democracy, placing the well-being of every Beninese at the heart of all political, economic, and socio-cultural decisions.

– Faced with the complex challenges of our nation, we unite our forces to offer an alternative based on a change of political paradigm, a true systemic break.

– It aims to be a catalyst for change, propelling a patriotic and committed citizen towards a truly inclusive and prosperous future for all.

– We are the only credible, structured, and committed alternative to restore the sovereignty of peaceful populations against the law of silence.

– We legally and lawfully fulfill all the conditions they thought impossible to exist as a political organization.

– We carry a concrete project: employment, justice, transparency, and fundamental freedoms.

– Today, every candidate of the Third Voice is a bulwark against the confiscation of power.

– We carry the vision of Pan-Africanism 

The Third Voice is therefore a call for gathering. A gathering of those who want to go beyond partisan logics to build a common project, ethical, transparent, and effective governance, concerned with social justice and territorial equity. It is a gathering of intellectuals, artisans, and farmers, all bearing the same dream: a united, peaceful, and prosperous Benin.

Strong in our common values, rooted in the fundamental principles of democracy, the rule of law, social justice, good governance, and sustainable development, we, political parties and political organizations united in the Bloc of the Third Voice, commit to working together for a dynamic and radiant Benin.

Our objectives are clear:

– Implement bold and concrete public policies, focused on the real challenges of our fellow citizens, by proposing to the Beninese people a political program that reflects our values, shared priorities, and the legitimate aspirations of this wounded people.

– Present a unique, consensual, and competitive list of candidates for the general elections (legislative, communal, and municipal, and if applicable, presidential) under the banner of the political party within us.

Beninese men and women, the Time for Resignation is Over!

To you, dear Beninese women and men, to you, Pan-Africans and members of the Beninese diaspora whose hearts beat for the homeland, we launch today a solemn call:

Joining The Third Voice means:

– Restore forgiveness and living together;

– Restore Patriotism and Ethics;

– Restore sovereignty and Brotherhood;

– Restore social justice and work;

– Build a Benin for generations;

– Reject the injunctions of the past.

– Reject dependence, submission to the outside

The time for lamentations is over. The time is for struggle.

We must make a systemic break that differs from a simple change of leader through the mechanism of alternation.

Together, let us build a credible, responsible, and ambitious alternative.

Together, let us renew the political class and give a real chance to future generations, to the harmonious development of our dear country.

Join the Third Voice and become actors of a new Benin.

The time has come. History only remembers the peoples who, at a critical moment, rose up to change the course of things.

The 2026 deadlines must not be a mere renewal of faces, but the opportunity to refound our social and political pact. The Third Voice positions itself resolutely as the credible alternative, the solution of unity and progress that our dear Benin so badly needs.

Long live The Third Voice,

Long live a united Benin moving towards a better future,

Long live the Republic,

Thank you.

Dynamic Third Voice