Morocco’s National Rally of Independents (RNI) is entering a pivotal transition after party president and current head of the government Aziz Akhannouch formally announced he will not seek a new mandate at the head of the ruling party.
His decision clears the way for an extraordinary congress scheduled for February 7 in El Jadida, where delegates will elect a new secretary general to lead the political formation.
Candidate submissions will be open from January 12 to 28. The announcement aligns with recent public statements confirming his intention not to seek a third term.
Presenting the decision as a desire to “pass the torch,” he has set in motion the first leadership renewal inside the RNI in over a decade.
While some analysts do not rule out the possibility of a consensus candidate emerging in his favor, others argue that the appearance of credible challengers would oblige the party to hold a competitive internal election.
This disengagement from party leadership comes as Akhannouch’s second term as president draws to an end ahead of Morocco’s September 2026 legislative elections. His decision therefore formalizes the conclusion of his leadership cycle within the RNI, providing clarity for the party’s political roadmap as the end of the current parliamentary term approaches. External reporting has likewise noted that the RNI’s statutes cap presidential terms and that Akhannouch rejected proposals to alter them.
