As Benin heads toward its 2026 general elections, the political atmosphere is growing increasingly tense. Among the voices raising alarm is that of political activist Nourou Dine Saka Saley, also known as NDSS.
Saka Saley has been outspoken in recent weeks, warning of what he describes as a “planned exclusion” of political contenders. In a pointed critique, he accuses the opposition not only of witnessing this trend but also of passively endorsing it through its inaction.
“There is an exclusion in the making, and it is happening with the participatory blessing of the opposition,” he declared in a recent public address. He also praised Jean Baptiste Elias, president of the National Front of Organizations Against Corruption (FONAC), for shedding light on the issue during a televised appearance last weekend.
Expressing frustration, NDSS criticized what he sees as a passive, even defeated, opposition. “I warned about the drift toward a de facto single-party system with the opposition’s blessing, based on its posture. But instead, I was accused of turning against my own camp,” he lamented, asserting that time would vindicate his stance.
At the heart of his concern is Article 146 of the Electoral Code—a provision that, in his view, reinforces political gatekeeping and benefits the country’s two dominant parties. The article states that only electoral lists securing at least 20% of valid votes in each legislative district are eligible for seat allocation.
While a supplementary clause allows for an alternative—permitting parties in formal parliamentary coalitions to combine results if they garner at least 10% of the national vote—NDSS believes this nuance fails to address the system’s broader imbalances.
In a political landscape that appears increasingly closed off, Saka Saley’s warnings reignite debate over the opposition’s capacity to fulfill its democratic role. Whether his message will lead to a broader reckoning—or be drowned out by the noise of electoral maneuvering—remains to be seen.