Benin: Nadine Okoumassoun leaves Les Démocrates and calls for political calm.

The party Les Démocrates records a new departure. Nadine Okoumassoun has decided to leave the opposition political formation. This decision comes amid a deep restructuring of the party following the 2026 general elections and several months of internal tensions.

The activist officially joined Les Démocrates in October 2022 with her political movement. At the time, Nourénou Atchadé, then the first vice-president of the party, participated in the membership ceremony and praised her commitment.

Her departure comes nearly four years after her entry into the party. During this period, Nadine Okoumassoun regularly spoke on electoral issues, public liberties, the situation of detainees and political exiles, as well as the necessity for dialogue among the different components of the political class.

With the legislative elections approaching in January 2026, she was still among the candidates presented by Les Démocrates for the seats reserved for women. She had been positioned as the main candidate in the 16th electoral constituency.

A Call to Turn the Page on Political Tensions

However, the resignation does not seem to signify a withdrawal from public debate. Nadine Okoumassoun accompanies her decision with a message in favor of political calm and overcoming the antagonisms that have marked recent years.

This position aligns with several of her recent interventions. In June 2025, she notably called on President Patrice Talon to convene national forums to promote political dialogue and create the conditions for inclusive and peaceful elections.

In May 2026, after the presidential election, she once again placed reconciliation at the center of her concerns, believing that the political challenge for the country now lies in restoring a peaceful climate among the different components of Beninese society.

Her departure comes as Les Démocrates are going through a difficult period. The party lost its representation in the National Assembly following the legislative elections of January 11, 2026, and was unable to present a candidate for the presidential elections in April due to not meeting the required number of endorsements.

The party has also recorded several significant resignations. Former President Thomas Boni Yayi left his leadership in March 2026, citing health reasons. His son Chabi Georges Nadjim Yayi also resigned, while Guy Dossou Mitokpè and other officials left the party in the same context of restructuring.

A leadership crisis then pitted the camps of Nourénou Atchadé and Éric Houndété against each other. The court of Cotonou ultimately confirmed, at the end of April, Nourénou Atchadé at the head of the party.

Despite these difficulties, Les Démocrates reaffirmed in May their commitment to remain in the opposition. During an extraordinary national council, the party confirmed its status as a political opposition and announced its intention to continue its actions in the new institutional context.