Coup d’Etat foiled in Benin raises questions about post-talon era

Arrests and allegations

On Wednesday, the prosecutor of Benin’s Court of Repression of Economic and Terrorist Offenses (CRIET) disclosed the detention of Djimon Dieudonné Tévoédjrè, commander of the Republican Guard; former minister Oswald Homéky; and businessman Olivier Boko. The arrests, made between Monday and Tuesday nights, followed allegations that they had conspired to stage a coup d’Etat in the West African nation of 13 million people. Notably, the commander of the Republican Guard has since been released, according to reports.

Prosecutors claim that Messrs. Boko and Homéky opened a bank account with NSIA Côte d’Ivoire on behalf of the Republican Guard commander, allegedly to “fund a violent takeover of power on September 27, 2024”. However, NSIA Côte d’Ivoire issued a statement denying the existence of such an account, asserting that no account had been opened in the commander’s name or on his behalf.

Political ambitions and controversies

Olivier Boko, aged 60 and CEO of the Denrées et Fournitures Alimentaires (DFA) group, has been a close associate of President Talon for nearly two decades. Often described as the president’s “right-hand man”, Boko has never held an official position in the administration. In recent months, however, he has openly expressed his political ambitions, suggesting he may run for president in 2026—a move reportedly opposed by Patrice Talon. Boko’s candidacy was reportedly backed by Oswald Homéky, the former sports minister.

President Talon, who has been in office since 2016, will complete his second term in 2026, the maximum allowed by Benin’s Constitution. His tenure has been marked by accusations of an authoritarian shift, despite the country’s former reputation for democratic dynamism.

Reactions and instability

Political analyst Tiburce Adagbè commented to the press, “We have entered a new phase in the march toward the 2026 general elections.” He added that if legal proceedings progress as expected, one of the accused—a leading contender in the succession race—“would face significant challenges”, referring to Olivier Boko. “We are in an unstable environment where sub-regional geopolitics raises concerns,” noted Euloge Francis Atadé, a governance expert. In recent years, several West African nations, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have experienced military coups that overturned democratically elected leaders.

While Gilles Gohy, a member of the Union Progressiste le Renouveau party and a Talon supporter, urged calm, stating, “I have no concerns. Let justice run its course… remain serene.” However, Valentin Djenontin, an exiled opposition figure, warned that if the prosecutor were to issue an arrest warrant against Olivier Boko, “support marches for Talon could erupt, as he remains the sole leader.”

Opposition and condemnation

The opposition FCBE party “condemned this attempted coup and reaffirmed its opposition to any form of power acquisition outside the ballot box.” Similarly, the Bloc Républicain, a party within the ruling coalition, decried “the extreme gravity of the alleged acts” and condemned “any attempt to destabilize Benin or undermine its democratic order.”

The group supporting Boko’s presidential bid, Objectif Bénin 2026 (OB26), denounced his arrest as a “grave violation of fundamental rights”, “blatant political persecution”, and “unacceptable repressive tactics.”