With less than a year to go before the 2026 general elections and the end of President Patrice Talon’s second term, meetings between former head of state Boni Yayi and former National Assembly President Adrien Houngbédji are increasing.
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, Boni Yayi visited the home of the former leader of the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) in Porto-Novo. This is one of many meetings recorded between the two political figures since the beginning of the year.
Although the content of their exchanges remains confidential for the time being, consistent information suggests signs of a possible political rapprochement in view of the upcoming electoral deadlines.
This dynamic is all the more surprising as the two men have long been opponents on the political stage. In 2011, they opposed each other in the presidential election, a ballot won by Boni Yayi.
Their differences continued until 2016, when Adrien Houngbédji, then President of the National Assembly and leader of the PRD, joined the coalition supporting Lionel Zinsou against Patrice Talon. After the latter’s victory, Houngbédji threw his support behind the power, positioning himself towards the presidential movement.
However, in recent months, the former parliament president seems to be distancing himself from the government line, multiplying public criticisms of the country’s current management, without officially declaring himself opposition.
The current context, marked by strategic readjustments within political forces, suggests new alliances in the making. If this rapprochement between Boni Yayi and Adrien Houngbédji is confirmed, it could reshuffle the deck in view of the upcoming elections.