Paul Hounkpe

<div style=""><span id="docs-internal-guid-467ce7a6-7fff-1b9c-439a-94ebfd22ff49" style=""><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.39; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;">Paul Hounkpè was born on 1 January 1970 in Bopa, a small commune nestled in the Mono Department of southern Benin.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.39; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;">Hounkpè’s story in politics began close to home. As mayor of Bopa, he served the very community that shaped him, developing a hands-on understanding of governance and the everyday concerns of ordinary Beninese citizens. That experience at the grassroots level proved invaluable when, in 2015, President Thomas Boni Yayi called on him to join the national government as Minister of Culture.</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.39; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;">An Opposition Figure</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.39; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;">When the political winds shifted, Hounkpè did not retreat from public life. By 2019, he had taken on the role of Secretary-General of the Forces Cauris pour un Bénin Émergent (FCBE), a party committed to offering Beninese voters an alternative to the ruling establishment. In May 2021, he entered that year’s presidential race alongside Alassane Soumanou as running mate . Two years later, he led the FCBE’s charge in the legislative elections of January 2023, continuing to make the case for a different political direction for Benin.</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.39; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;">Presidential Bid&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.39; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;">In 2025, his party named him the FCBE’s candidate for the 2026 presidential election, with Rock Judicaël Hounwanou as his running mate.&nbsp;</p><div><br></div></span></div><div class="yj6qo"></div>