The 2025 presidential elections across Africa have followed a troubling pattern: opposition voices are being systematically silenced even before campaigning begins. Recent polls in Djibouti on April 10 and Benin on April 12 underscore this trend, where incumbents secured landslide victories—97.8% for Djibouti’s Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and 94% for Benin’s Romuald Wadagni—amid a near-total absence of meaningful competition.
In Djibouti, opposition leader Alexis Mohamed abandoned his candidacy not due to lack of support but because prohibitive nomination fees rendered campaigning financially impossible. While he cited safety concerns, the financial barrier proved decisive. Analysts now describe the election as a “ceremonial exercise”, where the outcome was predetermined before voters even cast ballots.
campaign costs as political exclusion
This phenomenon extends beyond Djibouti. Across West Africa, exorbitant election fees have emerged as a strategic tool to neutralize opposition candidates. These fees—often reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars—are not just administrative hurdles; they are deliberate mechanisms that tilt the electoral playing field.
In Benin, for instance, the financial requirements effectively barred all but the most well-connected contenders. The result? A one-sided contest where incumbents face little credible challenge, reinforcing perceptions of elections as “preordained victories.”
Critics argue that such practices undermine democratic principles, reducing elections to formalities rather than genuine democratic processes. When only candidates backed by the ruling elite can afford to run, the legitimacy of the entire system comes under scrutiny.
the financial barrier to democracy
What makes these fees particularly insidious is their dual role: they serve both as a financial obstacle and a political censor. For aspiring leaders without deep pockets or elite connections, the cost of candidacy becomes an insurmountable wall. This not only excludes opposition figures but also discourages grassroots challengers from even attempting to participate.
In West Africa, where economic disparities are already stark, these financial barriers exacerbate political exclusion. Without reform, elections risk becoming empty rituals—ceremonies that validate power rather than challenge it.