Benin – 2026 presidential election: the MICL expresses its support for the Wadagni–Talata duo

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The room chosen by the Independent Movement of Leading Executives for a New Benin (MICL) in Porto-Novo vibrated with a particular fervor on Thursday, December 11, 2025. In front of activists, supporters and local authorities, the movement officially proclaimed its support for the Wadagni–Talata ticket, the presidential movement’s candidate for the April 2026 election.

Right from the start, the movement’s president took the floor to greet the representatives of the Porto-Novo and Sèmè-Kpodji town halls, as well as the executives and personalities present. “I welcome you to this historic place that marks the birth of this movement,” he declared.

He recalled the history of the political reunions that began in 2018, when the group still campaigned under the banner of the Union des cadres et personnalités pour le développement de Sèmè-Kpodji. “The fruits have kept the promise of the flowers,” he said, referring to the early successes achieved.

An expanded movement and a renewed vision

Now restructured and renamed the Independent Movement of Leading Executives for a New Benin, the MICL claims a broader ambition. “This is a union that has grown, that has taken other directions through objectives with a social scope,” Abel Hounsa, president of the MICL, explained.

For MICL members, supporting the Wadagni–Talata ticket is a matter of continuity. “No sacrifice will be too great to bring the ticket to win the Marina Palace,” he insisted.

After that transition, he explained that one of the movement’s strategic priorities is civic awareness around voting. “As the leader figure that I am, I must go into the heart of Benin… to raise awareness further,” he argued. According to him, the stake is clear and it is necessary to encourage civic participation for the benefit of the Wadagni–Talata ticket, in order to guarantee “a significant vote for the movement’s candidate.”

Declared political objectives

The meeting took another turn with the intervention of Agossou Samuel Christin, secretary-general of the MICL. The speaker returned to the origins of the movement, born from a desire to restore political cohesion to Sèmè-Kpodji. “Faced with the rather bleak political landscape… we took the initiative to create a forum for exchange,” he recalled, referring to their beginnings in 2017.

He then explained how the founding members joined the Bloc Républicain in 2018, following President Patrice Talon’s call to rationalize the political landscape. However, the difficulties encountered within that grouping did not dampen their commitment. “We were relegated to oblivion like overnight stars,” he admitted.

This period of hardship, however, led them to deeper reflection. “Our grey matter was not yet clouded,” he reiterated before announcing their conscious decision to support the Wadagni–Talata ticket for the 2026 presidential election.

A movement now of national scope

According to Samuel Christin, the movement now extends to the “77 communes of Benin,” even if its roots remain anchored in Sèmè-Kpodji. The MICL now intends to be a political platform for activists from the Bloc Républicain, the Union Progressiste le Renouveau and for all those who wish to get involved without formally belonging to a party.

For him, this positioning is strategic. “This movement will set itself the mission of being active in awareness-raising to convince the population that voting is a deeply civic act.” The ultimate objective, he says, is to “elect the Ouadagni–Talata ticket in the end”.

Continuing on, he also mentioned the upcoming legislative elections, calling to wage the same fight in the legislative polls to secure a comfortable majority in the National Assembly.

In unison, the two main speakers praised the reforms undertaken since 2016 by President Talon. This Porto-Novo meeting, presented as historic, ended with a call for unity and general mobilization. For MICL members, the time for observation is over and it is time for concerted action in view of the major electoral challenges of 2026.