Benin’s Finance Minister Wadagni wins presidency with 94% landslide
Benin’s electoral commission announced provisional results from Sunday’s presidential election, confirming an overwhelming victory for Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, who is expected to succeed outgoing President Patrice Talon.
Romuald Wadagni, running alongside Mariam Chabi Talata, secured 4,252,347 votes, or 94.05% of ballots cast, according to Saka Lafia, president of the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA).
“The votes obtained by the candidate pairs are proclaimed as follows: first - Romuald Wadagni and Mariam Chabi Talata; 4,252,347 votes, representing 94.05 per cent,” Lafia said.
The opposition ticket of Paul Hounkpe and Rock Judicael Hounwanou placed second with 5.95% of the vote.
CENA said voter turnout stood at 58.75%, a marked increase from the 2021 presidential election, which was widely boycotted by opposition parties.
The result further cements the grip of the ruling Progressive Union for Renewal and the Republican Bloc, which won all 109 seats in parliament in January.
Wadagni is set to become the first president to serve a seven-year term under constitutional reforms adopted in 2024 and 2025. The changes also synchronised presidential, legislative and municipal elections.
The vote took place against a backdrop of political tension, with several prominent opposition figures barred from contesting because of strict endorsement rules, raising concerns about political pluralism in the West African country.
The election also followed a failed coup attempt in December 2025.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
