Adrien Houngbédji (born 5 March 1942) is a
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
ese
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and the leader of the
Democratic Renewal Party (''Parti du renouveau démocratique'', PRD), one of Benin's main political parties. He was President of the
National Assembly of Benin
The unicameral National Assembly is Benin's legislative body.
The National Assembly in Porto-Novo as it exists today was formed in 1990. The current National Assembly has 83 members who are directly elected through a system of party-list proporti ...
from 1991 to 1995,
Prime Minister of Benin from 1996 to 1998, and President of the National Assembly again from 1999 to 2003. Beginning in 1991, he stood repeatedly as a presidential candidate; he placed second in 2006, but was heavily defeated by
Yayi Boni Yayi may refer to
* China-Taiwan Yayi Cup, a Go competition
*Thomas Boni Yayi
Thomas Boni Yayi (born 1 July 1951) is a Beninese banker and politician who was President of Benin from 2006 to 2016. He took office after winning the March 2006 presi ...
in a second round of voting. From 2015 to 2019, he served for a third time as
President of the National Assembly.
Political career
Adrien Houngbédji was born in
Aplahoué
Aplahoué is a town and arrondissement in Benin, and is the capital of the Kouffo Department
Kouffo or Couffo is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Kouffo borders the country of Togo and the departments of Mono, Zou and Atlantique. Since ...
(Benin) in 1942.
[National Assembly page on Houngbédji]
, bj.refer.org . He earned a Doctorate in Law from the
University of Paris
, image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of Arms
, latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis
, motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin)
, mottoeng = Here and a ...
in 1967 and graduated the same year from the French National School of Magistrate, first in his class. In August 1968 he joined the bar
[Adrien Houngbédji]
''Il n'y a de richesse que d'hommes''
. in Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...
where he ran a prominent law office. After agreeing to represent an opponent of the regime of Mathieu Kérékou
Mathieu Kérékou (; 2 September 1933 – 14 October 2015) was a Beninese politician who served as President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006.
After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 19 years, for ...
, he was arrested in February 1975.[ On March 5, 1975, Houngbédji escaped from prison and fled into exile; shortly afterward he was sentenced to death. He went to ]Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, then to Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
, Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
, where he taught law, before going to Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904.
The area has been inh ...
, Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
, where he again practiced law.[
In Gabon he was close to President ]Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo; 30 December 1935 – 8 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who was the second President of Gabon for 42 years, from 1967 until his death in 2009. Omar Bongo was promoted to key positions as ...
, and Bongo encouraged Houngbédji to return to Benin in December 1989 after an amnesty was issued by the Kérékou regime, providing him with a plane and sending a Gabonese Minister of State to accompany him.[ Houngbédji participated in the February 1990 National Conference that led the country towards a multi-party democracy.][ He was favored by Kérékou to become prime minister at the National Conference, but ]Nicéphore Soglo
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo (born November 29, 1934) is a Beninese politician who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. He was Mayor of Cotonou from 2003 to 2015. Soglo was married to Rosine Vieyra Soglo, ...
found more favor with the delegates, and Houngbédji withdrew from the contest prior to the vote, in which Soglo was elected. Although considered by many to have been an ally of the Kérékou regime at the time of the National Conference, Houngbédji has written that he was actually an "enlightened adversary" of the regime.[ In March 1990 he founded the Democratic Renewal Party, and in early 1991 he was elected to the National Assembly of Benin.][ He ran in the March 1991 presidential election, taking fifth place with 4.54% of the vote.][Elections in Benin](_blank)
African Elections Database. He was elected as President of the National Assembly in 1991, serving until 1995.[Benin government page on former presidents of the National Assembly]
In the March 1995 parliamentary election, the PRD, along with other parties opposed to President Nicéphore Soglo, won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, and Houngbédji was re-elected to the Assembly.[ He took third place, with 19.71% of the vote, in the first round of the March 1996 presidential election,][ and he supported Kérékou in the second round of the election.][ Houngbédji was then appointed ]Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
(a position which was recreated on this occasion) by Kérékou in April 1996, serving in that position for two years. On May 8, 1998, Houngbédji resigned, along with the three other PRD ministers in the government;[Benin, Year in Review: 1998]
Britannica.com. the position of prime minister was eliminated in the next government, named on May 14.[
Houngbédji and the PRD were part of the opposition in the March 1999 parliamentary election, and the opposition succeeded in winning a majority of seats;][Benin, Year in Review: 1999]
Britannica.com. Houngbédji was re-elected to the National Assembly[ and was elected President of the National Assembly for a second time on April 29, defeating Kérékou's favored candidate ]Bruno Amoussou
Bruno Ange-Marie Amoussou (born 2 July 1939) is a Beninese politician who was President of the National Assembly of Benin from 1995 to 1999https://assemblee-nationale.bj/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Histoire-et-patrimoine.pdf and Minister of Stat ...
with 45 votes against Amoussou's 38 votes.[ He remained in the post until 2003.][ He was also elected co-president of the Africa Caribbean Pacific - European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly in 2001.
In the March 2001 presidential election, he took third place and 12.62% of the vote; along with former President Soglo, who finished second, he refused to participate in a second round because of alleged fraud. Fourth-place candidate ]Bruno Amoussou
Bruno Ange-Marie Amoussou (born 2 July 1939) is a Beninese politician who was President of the National Assembly of Benin from 1995 to 1999https://assemblee-nationale.bj/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Histoire-et-patrimoine.pdf and Minister of Stat ...
therefore faced Kérékou in the second round, and Amoussou lost by a large margin.
On February 13, 2003, Houngbédji was elected as mayor of Benin's administrative capital, Porto Novo
Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people.
Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Gu ...
, by the city's council; he took office on the same day. Houngbédji was re-elected to the National Assembly in the March 2003 parliamentary election, and in April 2003 he left the opposition to join the presidential majority. He resigned as Mayor of Porto Novo in June 2003.
Houngbédji ran for president again in the March 2006 presidential election, and on this occasion an article in the constitution excluding Kérékou and Soglo from the race made Houngbédji a favorite. In the first round, held on March 5, he placed second, with about 24% of the vote according to official results, behind Yayi Boni Yayi may refer to
* China-Taiwan Yayi Cup, a Go competition
*Thomas Boni Yayi
Thomas Boni Yayi (born 1 July 1951) is a Beninese banker and politician who was President of Benin from 2006 to 2016. He took office after winning the March 2006 presi ...
with about 35%; therefore a run-off between Houngbédji and Boni was held on March 19. Houngbédji lost this round, with Yayi Boni receiving almost 75% of the vote.
Houngbédji was re-elected to the National Assembly in the March 2007 parliamentary election. He was again defeated by Yayi Boni in the March 2011 presidential election, although he disputed the official results, which showed Boni winning a first-round majority. At the PRD's Third Ordinary Congress, held in February 2012, Houngbédji was re-elected as President of the PRD.
In the April 2015 parliamentary election, Houngbédji was re-elected to the National Assembly as a PRD candidate in the 19th constituency. When the National Assembly began meeting for its new term, Houngbédji was elected as President of the National Assembly on the night of 19–20 May 2015; as the candidate representing the opposition, he received 42 votes, while the candidate representing Boni's supporters, Komi Koutché, received 41. He took office on 22 May, succeeding Mathurin Nago
Mathurin Coffi Nago is a Beninese politician who was President of the National Assembly of Benin from 2007 to 2015. Previously he was Minister of Higher Education and Vocational Training from 2006 to 2007.
Political career
As a candidate of the Un ...
.[Thibaud C. Nagnonhou]
"Assemblée nationale: Me Adrien Houngbédji s’installe dans son fauteuil"
, ''La Nation'', 26 May 2015 .
A member of the ''Académie des Sciences d’Outre Mer'', Houngbédji published a book in October 2005 presenting his political vision of Benin and Africa titled ''Il n’y a de richesse que d’hommes'' (publisher: éditions l'Archipel).
References
External links
Il n’y a de richesse que d’hommes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houngbedji, Adrien
1942 births
Living people
Presidents of the National Assembly (Benin)
Members of the National Assembly (Benin)
Democratic Renewal Party (Benin) politicians
Prime Ministers of Benin
People from Kouffo Department
Candidates for President of Benin