Aziz Akhannouch’s January 2026 announcement that he would not seek a third term as leader of Morocco’s National Rally of Independents (RNI) or run in the September 2026 legislative elections has anchored trader expectations that he will leave office by year-end. The party quickly installed Mohamed Chouki as its new president in February, aligning with internal term limits and clearing the path for a successor. Under Morocco’s constitutional framework, King Mohammed VI appoints the head of government from the largest parliamentary bloc after elections, making Akhannouch’s return highly improbable absent an unforeseen reversal. No significant political developments have emerged in recent weeks to alter this trajectory, though coalition negotiations following the vote could still shape the precise timing of any transition.