Benin: Hundreds of activists turn the page on the UP le Renouveau in Porto Novo
A political shockwave is sweeping through the capital of Benin. Four hundred and five (405) supporters of the Progressive Union for Renewal (UP-R), one of the main presidential majority parties, have collectively resigned, submitting their resignation letters to the local party headquarters in Porto-Novo this Wednesday.
SUMMARY
This collective action draws attention to a profound malaise within the formation led by the former president of the Constitutional Court, Joseph Djogbénou.
Already weakened by successive waves of departures in March and July 2024, the party now sees its local base crumble further. According to the resigners, the feeling of being “relegated to the background” and of undergoing a vertical and authoritative functioning has fueled this break.
“The baobab, our emblem, has lost its leaves. We are now left exposed, without shade or protection,” declared the spokesperson for the resigners, in a poignant statement summarizing the base’s disarray.
Internal Dissonances and Contested Management
This massive departure, while orchestrated in a collective approach, was not acknowledged as such by the local party leadership. Of the 405 resignation letters presented, only 56 have been officially recorded, with the leaders rejecting the others, citing that no collective resignation is acceptable according to the party’s internal statutes.
Determined to be heard, the former members claim to have resumed the withdrawal process, this time with individual signed attestations, to bypass the administrative blockage.
At the heart of this rebellion: Romaric Soton and Marcel Bidouzo, two charismatic and influential figures of the UP-R in Porto-Novo. Both are accused, by some party leaders, of fomenting dissidence, but they are also credited with having long ensured the militant mobilization in Ouémé.
Their break with the party marks a turning point and reinforces the idea of a structural disagreement between the base and national leadership.
Worrying Signals One Year Before the Presidential Election
These resignations occur at a critical time. Less than a year before the 2026 presidential election, this hemorrhaging of supporters could significantly weaken the local stronghold of the UP-R, especially in Ouémé, an electoral heavyweight department. The party’s strategic alliance with President Patrice Talon could be affected if internal fractures persist without remedy.
Amidst this instability, unresolved demands from the Party for Democratic Renewal (PRD), which still demands the restoration of its political autonomy, also fuel internal tensions.
The simmering crisis between the UP-R and its former autonomist allies creates a volatile situation that some observers do not hesitate to call a time of latent crisis.
For many analysts, this series of resignations is not a simple partisan matter, but the symptom of a generalized breakdown of trust.
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