It's an open secret. Benin's Minister of Economy and Finance, Romuald Wadagni, is the movement's candidate for the April 2026 presidential election. The opposition party, Les Démocrates, is still slow to nominate its champion. What concerns him at the moment is Mr. Wadagni's continued ministerial position. He believes the latter should resign because there are risks of a conflict of interest.

Indeed, according to Boni Yayi's party, the General Directorate of Taxes, which issues the tax clearance certificate, an essential document in the composition of application files, is under the control of the Ministry of Finance headed by Mr. Wadagni.

"The time will come for the Minister of State to take leave from the government."

While speaking yesterday Friday to the press in Cotonou, the government spokesman, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji assured that the candidate minister will withdraw from the government at the appropriate time.

"The time will come for the Minister of State, the presidential majority's designated candidate, to take leave from the government. The opposition will not teach us how to do things properly. We have amply demonstrated for a little over 9 years now that we know how to do things, with elegance and rigor," declared Mr. Houngbédji.

The government is finalizing the draft general state budget for the 2026 financial year.

He recalled that the government is currently finalizing the draft general state budget for the 2026 financial year.

"We are on the eve of a parliamentary session devoted to the budget. The Ministry of Finance teams are mobilized to finalize the document, which will then have to be presented to the national assembly," declared the government spokesperson. In other words, Minister Wadagni has other fish to fry at the moment.