Benin’s finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, has won Sunday’s presidential election in a landslide, securing 94% of the vote, preliminary results based on more than 90% of counted ballots showed, the electoral commission (CENA) said on Monday.
Wadagni, 49, stood as the candidate of an alliance between the Progressive Union Renewal (UPR) and the Republican Bloc (BR). He had been widely expected to win after receiving the endorsement of outgoing President Patrice Talon, Benin’s wealthiest man, who was barred from running again after two five-year terms.
As finance minister, Wadagni presided over roughly a decade of steady economic growth above 6% annually. He campaigned on continuing that growth in a country often described as one of West Africa’s more stable democracies, despite a failed coup attempt in December 2025.
His sole opponent, Paul Hounkpe, leader of the smaller opposition party FCBE, conceded defeat even as votes were still being tallied. “To … Romuald Wadagni, I offer my republican congratulations. Democracy requires mutual respect and the ability to rise above partisan divides,” Hounkpe said in his concession statement.
CENA head Sacca Lafia said the election had taken place peacefully. An electoral monitoring platform run by civil society groups, however, reported roughly 100 incident “alerts,” according to AFP. Reported issues included some polling stations opening early and instances where ballot boxes appeared full before voting began. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) observation mission praised the “peaceful atmosphere” and the “smooth running of the election.”
About 7.9 million people were eligible to vote, and CENA reported a national turnout of 58.75%. Turnout was notably lower in the capital, Porto-Novo, where some polling stations recorded between 20% and 40%.
Analysts had warned ahead of the vote that President Talon had implemented measures that limited political participation during his time in office. The country’s largest opposition party, Les Démocrates, was not on the ballot after constitutional changes last year contributed to the party failing to win any seats in January’s legislative election. New rules requiring presidential candidates to secure endorsements from National Assembly members meant Les Démocrates’ leader, Renaud Agbodjo, could not obtain enough endorsements without representation in the assembly. “Given the barriers to opposition party participation, the 2026 contest begins with a tilted playing field,” an analysis by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies noted before the election.
Benin has seen rapid economic expansion and increased tourism, aided by infrastructure projects and its long coastline. Yet the country of about 14.5 million people still faces significant challenges, including a wide wealth gap. The poverty rate—measured as the share living on $3 a day or less—is estimated at just under 30%, and many citizens say they have not felt the benefits of growth. Security is another concern: jihadist violence from the Sahel has spilled into northern Benin, posing a threat to stability.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko