Kodjo announced in early August 2008 that he would stand as the candidate of a new party, the "Organisation pour bâtir dans l'union un Togo solidaire" (OBUTS), in the 2010 presidential election. He formally submitted his candidacy on 14 January 2010. Although the deadline for submitting candidacies was 15 January, Kodjo was the first person to submit his candidacy formally. Upon learning that he was first, Kodjo declared that it was "a very good sign" and that he would also be "the first" to be declared the winner of the election.