Benin’s Finance Minister wins presidential election

Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Benin, has won a landslide victory in the country’s presidential election, with more than 94% of the vote, according to provisional results.

Sacca Lafia, head of the country’s independent electoral commission, announced the results on national television Monday evening.

Lafia said voter turnout for the election was 58.78%.

Before the announcement of the results, Paul Hounkpè, the only opposition candidate, admitted defeat.

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Hounkpè had said he would accept the result depending on the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.

His concession clears obstacles in Wadagni’s path to succeed President Patrice Talon.

Wadagni’s victory was anticipated after the opposition failed to pass the 20% threshold required to win seats in January’s parliamentary elections, leaving Talon’s two allied parties in control of all 109 seats in the national assembly.

The 49-year-old considered the country’s economic growth during his ten years as finance minister to be his strong point.

Last year, Benin’s economy grew by 7%, making it one of the most stable performing countries in West Africa.

On Sunday, when the presidential elections took place, Talon said he “left office with the feeling of having given his all, of having led the country to make progress in all sectors.”

“Whatever the outcome of the vote, Benin has reached a milestone in its history,” the president added.

Although largely democratic, Benin’s stability has been tested in recent times.

In September 2024, prosecutors said they foiled a suspected coup attempt. Olivier Boko, a businessman and longtime friend of Talon who kept an eye on the president’s office, was reportedly involved in the plot.

Last December, a group of military officers attempted to overthrow Talon’s government but failed after Nigeria’s intervention.

A month before the coup attempt, lawmakers had approved a constitutional amendment extending the presidential term to seven years. [TheCable]

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