LIVE: Benin goes to the polls to elect Talon’s successor months after failed coup

LIVE UPDATES

11:30 GMT: Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari arrived at 11:35 a.m. to cast his ballot at polling station 1. Speaking to reporters after voting, Bakari said, “I have just fulfilled my civic duty. I think it is a huge opportunity for us to make the right choice for our country. It is this choice that will determine the direction of our country over the next seven years. So it is with a very strong sense of duty that I came here today to express my civic duty.”

11:00 GMT: Aurélie Adam Soule Zoumarou, Benin’s Minister of Digital Economy, said she had fulfilled her civic duty by voting at the Kobi primary school in the Gourou district of Nikki. “I have carried out my civic duty today by voting,” she said, urging all eligible citizens to turn out and exercise their fundamental right to vote.

10:30 GMT: Former minister Christine Adjokè Ouinsavi cast her ballot on Sunday at the Hangar public square polling centre in Adakplamè, in the commune of Kétou. Speaking after voting, she said she was pleased to have fulfilled her civic duty in a calm atmosphere. “I feel very satisfied to have carried out this act, which honours me as a citizen, and to have done so in a peaceful environment,” she said.

10:30 GMT: Vice President Mariam Chabi Talata cast her ballot on Sunday morning at the Nabissou public primary school in the Guèma district of Parakou. She urged Beninese voters to recognise the power of the ballot, saying, “Each Beninese must understand that their vote can help solve their everyday problems.” Stressing the importance of civic participation, she added that “the vote is the channel through which the citizen speaks to leaders and expresses expectations.”

10:00 GMT: President Patrice Talon and First Lady Claudine Talon have arrived at polling centre 10078, Charles Guillot School in Zongo Nima, Cotonou, to cast their ballots in Benin’s presidential election.

9:30 GMT: Benin’s Economy and Finance Minister, Romuald Wadagni, one of the presidential candidates, has cast his vote at the Agonvè polling centre in Lokossa.

9:30 GMT: Turnout was strong from the early hours in Wassa, where voting began with a particularly large crowd, including many members of the Celestial Christian community. Polling station officer Houdé Mardite said told La Nouvelle Tribune that more than 200 of the 332 registered voters had already cast their ballots. By 9:40 a.m., turnout had eased slightly, though voters were still arriving steadily.

8:30 GMT: Slight delays at the Ganmè 1 and Ganmè 2 polling stations did little to unsettle voters, with polling beginning at 7:22 a.m. after minor logistical adjustments. Despite the late start, the atmosphere remained calm and orderly.

08:00 GMT: Voting began relatively calmly at the Zanzoun Primary School polling station, although station 1 opened slightly late at 7:10 a.m. because of delays linked to the installation of staff from the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA).

07:30 GMT: Early voters in Parakou described the voting process as calm and straightforward. Alassane Idrissou, the first registered voter at his polling station, said he arrived as soon as it opened so he could cast his ballot before returning to his farm. “I am proud to be the first to vote this morning. Everything is going well, peacefully. I encourage all citizens to turn out in large numbers to vote, in peace,” he said.

07:00 GMT: Voting in Benin’s 2026 presidential election got under way on Sunday, April 12, with polling stations opening across the country. In Abomey-Calavi, one of the country’s biggest electoral districts, the process started smoothly, with most polling centres opening on schedule at 7 a.m. At the Kpanrou polling station, located at EPP Centre, voting materials and staff were in place early, allowing all stations to open at the same time. A similar situation was reported in Zinvié, another major district in Abomey-Calavi.

Key issues 

One of the central issues is whether the next leader can sustain the country’s economic growth. Benin’s economy expanded by around 7% in 2025, driven by investments in agriculture, trade and infrastructure. However, many citizens say the benefits have not been evenly shared, with poverty persisting in rural and northern regions.

Security is another major concern, particularly in the north, where attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have intensified. The region has seen deadly assaults on military posts, and tensions remain high following a failed coup attempt in December.

The election is also being watched for its implications on democracy. President Patrice Talon’s government has faced criticism from opposition groups and rights organisations over restrictions on protests, arrests of critics and the exclusion of opposition parties from parliament. Read more.

Who are the candidates?

Wadagni, 49, a former Deloitte executive, has campaigned on continuity, highlighting economic gains under Talon’s leadership. “I had the honour of managing one of your most precious assets: your money,” he told supporters during the campaign, pledging to govern with the same “seriousness and dedication.” He has promised to expand healthcare and build on infrastructure and economic reforms.

His opponent, Paul Hounkpe, 56, represents the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE). A former teacher and culture minister, he has positioned himself as a moderate alternative, promising to lower the cost of living and secure the release of political detainees.

The main opposition party, the Democrats, is absent from the race after failing to secure the required backing to field a candidate, leaving Hounkpe as the only challenger. Read more.

Elections background

Benin’s president is elected through a two-round voting system and now serves a seven-year term following a 2025 constitutional amendment.

If no candidate wins more than half of the votes in the first round, the top two candidates face each other in a run-off held within 15 days. Presidents may serve a maximum of two terms, even if those terms are not consecutive.

Under changes introduced in 2019, every presidential candidate must run with a vice-presidential partner. The vice president serves the same seven-year term and is expected to complete the president’s tenure if the office becomes vacant.

To qualify, candidates must be Beninese citizens, either by birth or by having lived in the country for at least 10 years, and must be between 40 and 70 years old. They must also be of “good character and great probity”, enjoy full civil and political rights, pass physical and mental assessments, and secure nominations from at least 10% of all MPs and mayors.