Benin: the details of the first meeting of Senate members revealed

The details of the first meeting of the Beninese Senate members are becoming clearer. Scheduled for July 25, 2026, this meeting will bring together the 25 members of the new institution before their official installation set for July 30 at the Palais des Gouverneurs in Porto-Novo. Théodore Holo, an ex-officio member of the Senate, clarified the aim of this meeting. According to him, it will primarily be a session for future senators to connect.

“In the letter I received, it is a meeting for the 25 Senate members to get to know each other, both the ex-officio members and those appointed by the President of the Republic as well as by the President of the National Assembly,” he stated on Bip radio.

The meeting is convened by Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, the oldest member of the Senate, and will take place at the Sofitel hotel in Cotonou, starting at 11 am. For Théodore Holo, this initiative responds to the need for members to become acquainted before the official start of their work.

“We don’t all know each other. We need to have the opportunity to meet and exchange before we gather for the installation in Porto-Novo on July 30,” Théodore Holo continued. When questioned about a possible discussion concerning the functioning of the new chamber or the election of its president, the former president of the Constitutional Court believes that these issues should be addressed after the installation.

“After the installation, it could be discussed because we need to adopt internal regulations,” he indicated. This first meeting thus marks the launch of the preparatory activities of the Senate. While it is presented as merely a networking opportunity, it paves the way for the official installation of this new institution, created as a result of the constitutional revision of 2025.

The next steps will notably focus on the internal organization of the Senate and the establishment of its operational bodies.