“I’m not chasing after anyone,” Ganiou Soglo discusses his relationship with Patrice Talon

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As a guest on Bip Radio, Ganiou Soglo dropped diplomatic pretenses. When asked about his relationship with President Patrice Talon, the former Minister of Sports ended all speculation: “No, not at all,” he responded, dismissing the idea of a special relationship with the head of state.

The last exchange between the two men dates back, according to him, to 2016. Since then, radio silence. “He doesn’t need to speak to me, and I don’t need to either,” he released, seemingly detached.

This distance appears to be a personal principle of Ganiou Soglo, who seems to avoid forcing political contacts. When asked if he addresses his suggestions or critiques directly to the president, he responds with stinging clarity: “No. It’s not worth it.” According to him, the president has other priorities than consulting Ganiou Soglo. And he himself is not seeking to make himself indispensable.

“I mean, he is running our country. He has other things to do than to call Ganiou Soglo to talk him. Listen, I am not chasing anyone”

Ganiou Soglo between independence and disengagement?

The former minister did not miss the opportunity to recall his political heritage to emphasize his point of view. “My father was head of state. There are people, it may make you laugh, but power is independent,” he recalls. According to him, during the mandate of his father, Nicéphore Soglo, the first president of the democratic era of Benin, he says he only stepped foot in the presidency twice, without ever accompanying him on official visits.

Away from power games or quarrels, Ganiou Soglo seems to adopt a posture of proclaimed withdrawal. While he acknowledges that dialogue can take place “if it has to be,” he insists that this depends neither on him nor on any desire for forced rapprochement. “If it is not the case, it is not the case,” he concludes simply.