Sociologist and politician Dr Elvis Abou has officially aligned his movement, En Mission pour le Bénin (MPB), with the Bloc de la Troisième Voie, marking a new chapter in Benin’s evolving opposition landscape.
The announcement was made on Saturday, 27 September 2025, in Cotonou during a ceremony attended by leaders of the coalition, including Jean-Baptiste Hounguè, one of the architects of the bloc.
Abou’s decision comes after weeks of signalling his intention to contest the 2026 presidential election.
In his address, he reaffirmed his alliance with the opposition Democrats (LD) and confirmed his party’s readiness to take part in upcoming polls.
Welcomed into the coalition by Hounguè—former president of Benin en Route, ex-member of Union fait la Nation and the Republican Bloc, and now founder of the Pan-African People’s Party (PPP)—Abou framed his move as an act of national responsibility in the face of mounting political and social challenges.
“Our country continues its journey in a difficult and trying context.
The daughters and sons of this nation have lost their joy of living. The only possible option is to take individual responsibility. It is time to rise up and mobilize to thwart a policy of crushing the people,” Abou declared, calling for unity and civic engagement.
Hounguè, in turn, described Abou’s membership as “an act of ideological convergence.”
He added: “You are going home. Home because our ideals are the same, home because our fight is strong,” stressing the importance of building a “real alternative” to the current leadership.
Both leaders pledged to consolidate political and social alliances in pursuit of what they described as a governance pact rooted in justice, truth, and popular sovereignty. They also urged other opposition forces, trade unions, and civil society groups to join the movement and strengthen its base.
The integration of Abou’s MPB into the Third Way bloc reflects broader efforts within Benin’s opposition to present a united front ahead of the 2026 presidential contest.
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