Benin: Bruno Amoussou leaves politics and leaves the presidency of the UP to Joseph Djogbenou

Bruno Amoussou greets his supporters on January 15, 2006 before announcing his candidacy for the country's presidency in Cotonou.

AFP - ERICK-CHRISTIAN AHOUNOU

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In Benin, Bruno Amoussou, 83, one of the veterans of the Beninese political scene, is retiring from the political scene.

He has been Speaker of the Assembly, Minister of State, President of the Progressive Union party since 2018, the largest pro-Talon party.

He passed the baton to Joseph Djogbenou this Saturday, July 16 during an extraordinary meeting of the political bureau held in Cotonou.

Joseph Djogbenou resigned only at the beginning of the week from the presidency of the Constitutional Court.

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With our correspondent in Cotonou,

Socialist leader, Bruno Amoussou had a long political career, spanning more than half a century: he knew all the presidents from independence to the current one, Patrice Talon.

Since the national conference, he has always played a role: when he did not exercise power, he had become a major figure in the opposition, or even a kingmaker.

With

, they brought down Nicéphore Soglo and returned Mathieu Kérékou to power in 1996.

When

took office , he found himself in the opposition.

But Patrice Talon was elected in 2016 and made him an ally, an adviser, then the leader of the largest majority party.

His detractors at the time believed that the veteran socialist allied himself with a liberal to deny and trample his values ​​of freedom and democracy.

At the time of closing the book, the Beninese welcome his withdrawal and believe that alternation is necessary everywhere in politics.

“ 

 ”, analyzes one of his relatives.

We do not know, however, if Bruno Amoussou passed on his own or if it was

that accelerated things.

Bruno Amoussou has been at the head of the Progressive Union since 2018. Here, a poster of this ally party of President Patrice Talon, in the capital Cotonou, April 16, 2019. AFP - YANICK FOLLY

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• Patrice Talon