Séfou Fagbohoun: the story of a baobab of Beninese politics and business

Séfou Fagbohoun is no more. The businessman and former Beninese MP died this Saturday, August 22, 2026, in his home town of Adja-Ouèrè, in the Plateau department. He was 80. The news, reported by several Beninese media outlets, was notably confirmed by Louis Vlavonou, who paid tribute to him, describing him as his “mentor.”

Born on January 26, 1946, Séfou Fagbohoun was one of those figures whose influence long outgrew any official position. A businessman, political leader, former lawmaker and towering figure in the Plateau region, he lived through several decades of Beninese public life, marked by economic rise, political alliances, stints in opposition and legal disputes.

In Adja-Ouèrè and more broadly across the Plateau, his political weight earned him the nicknames “patriarch” or “baobab.” Well into old age, his name remained closely tied to this region, where he held a substantial political and social network.

A few months before his death, on January 26, 2026, family, friends, political officials and residents had gathered at his home to celebrate his 80th birthday. The event was an occasion to celebrate a figure whose local influence remained strong despite his gradual withdrawal from the political front line.

A fortune built in trade and oil

Often described as self-taught, Séfou Fagbohoun first built his influence away from political institutions. He made his fortune in trade, notably through commerce between Benin and Nigeria, before gradually expanding his activities into several sectors.

Over the years, he came to head various economic enterprises and developed interests in particular in oil products and agribusiness. His group became one of the major players in Benin’s business world, while his economic success gradually opened the doors of political life to him.

One of the most significant transactions of his business career came in 1999, with the privatisation of the Société nationale de commercialisation des produits pétroliers (SONACOP), Benin’s national oil products marketing company. La Continentale des pétroles et investissements (CPI), of which Séfou Fagbohoun was chairman, became the company’s majority shareholder.

The agreement covering the acquisition of 55% of the company’s capital was signed on April 2, 1999, and the deal was finalised on June 30 of the same year. The state retained 35% of the capital, while 10% was set aside for the company’s employees. The deal stands as one of the most significant episodes in his rise in the business world.

MADEP, an instrument of his political influence

Alongside his business interests, Séfou Fagbohoun fully committed himself to politics. In 1997, he founded the African Movement for Development and Progress (MADEP), a party that quickly established itself among the influential political forces of the time.

Strongly rooted in the Ouémé and above all in the Plateau region, MADEP became one of the components of the coalition backing President Mathieu Kérékou. In the 2003 legislative elections, the party won nine of the National Assembly’s 83 seats.

Antoine Kolawolé Idji, one of the party’s leading figures, was subsequently elected president of the National Assembly. During this period, MADEP held an important place in the balance of power within the presidential majority and enjoyed a particularly solid electoral base in the Plateau.

Séfou Fagbohoun himself served several terms in the National Assembly, notably during the first, fifth and sixth legislatures. His influence, however, extended far beyond his own mandates. In the Plateau, he established himself as a genuine kingmaker, capable of swaying nominations, alliances and the balance of electoral power.

From powerful ally to opponent under the Boni Yayi presidency

The paths of several Beninese political figures crossed with his. After his death was announced, Louis Vlavonou notably recalled that Séfou Fagbohoun had given him his first electoral opportunity by placing him on a list for the 2003 legislative elections.

The businessman’s career was, however, profoundly marked by the SONACOP affair. On June 4, 2006, a few weeks after Boni Yayi came to power, Séfou Fagbohoun was arrested by the Economic and Financial Brigade in a case linked to the management of the oil company.

He spent nearly two years in detention before being released in 2008. In the meantime, the state had taken steps to regain control of SONACOP, making the case one of the most high-profile legal and economic episodes of the early days of Boni Yayi’s first term.

This affair came during a period of political rupture. Close to Mathieu Kérékou and his coalition, the MADEP leader found himself in opposition under Boni Yayi’s presidency. The years that followed remained marked by a difficult relationship with those in power and by further legal proceedings.

From legal disputes to a rapprochement with Patrice Talon

Another case notably involved a land dispute over a property located in Gbahouété, in the Adja-Ouèrè municipality. Séfou Fagbohoun said he had acquired the plot in 1999, before a dispute arose several years later over the establishment of the Nouvelle cimenterie du Bénin cement plant there.

The case gave rise to lengthy legal proceedings. In 2018, the businessman was notably questioned by the courts before being released under judicial summons. The case added to the many upheavals that marked his career after his shift from ally of those in power to opponent.

After several years in opposition and various political realignments, Séfou Fagbohoun moved closer to those in power once again starting in 2020. On February 13 of that year, he met Patrice Talon in Cotonou, accompanied notably by his daughter, Karamatou Fagbohoun.

A few days later, on February 22, he formalised his membership of the Bloc Républicain party during a ceremony held at the Adja-Ouèrè youth centre. He explained his decision by his wish to contribute to the development of the Plateau, to promoting the region’s professionals, to youth employment and to infrastructure projects.

The Plateau’s “patriarch” to his final days

This realignment once again illustrated Séfou Fagbohoun’s ability to reposition himself amid the major shifts in Beninese political life. In September 2022, he again reaffirmed his membership of the Bloc Républicain during a visit by party officials to the Plateau.

In recent years, Séfou Fagbohoun had gradually withdrawn from the political front line to spend more time in his native Adja-Ouèrè. His influence nevertheless continued to be felt across the Plateau, where his political and economic career had helped shape several generations of local leaders.

A businessman turned leading political figure, he experienced both the heights of economic power and periods of detention, political ruptures and reconciliations. His career tells, in many ways, part of the political history of Benin since the early years of the democratic renewal.

From Mathieu Kérékou to Patrice Talon, by way of the Boni Yayi years, Séfou Fagbohoun thus lived through several administrations, in turn an ally of the government, an opponent, an MP, a party leader and an inescapable figure of the Plateau. The precise circumstances of his death had not yet been made public.