Voters in Benin are heading to the polls Sunday to elect a new president. Outgoing President Patrice Talon is stepping down after a decade of steady economic growth. But he has faced criticism for sidelining opposition parties. Benin’s constitutional court has approved only two candidates.
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Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyWomen in perimenopause dealing with hot flashes and sleep issues are being courted to buy productsYoung people are turning to old-school hobbies to get off their phonesA project to save rural synagogues grows from Maine to MontanaEEUU e Irán acuerdan un alto el fuego de dos semanas mientras Trump aprovecha una salida diplomática Casa Blanca matiza declaración sobre ataque a Cuba. Díaz-Canel dice que nada justifica una agresiónBenin’s President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 23, 2024. Benin’s Economy and Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel shake hands prior to a meeting at the chancellery as part of the “Compact with Africa” conference, in Berlin, Nov. 19, 2019. A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint, outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022. Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup, in Cotonou, Benin, Dec. 6, 2025. A woman casts her vote at a polling station during an election, in Seme Podji, Benin, March 6, 2016. Benin’s President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 23, 2024. Benin’s President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 23, 2024. Benin’s Economy and Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel shake hands prior to a meeting at the chancellery as part of the “Compact with Africa” conference, in Berlin, Nov. 19, 2019. Benin’s Economy and Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel shake hands prior to a meeting at the chancellery as part of the “Compact with Africa” conference, in Berlin, Nov. 19, 2019. A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint, outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022. A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint, outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022. Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup, in Cotonou, Benin, Dec. 6, 2025. Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup, in Cotonou, Benin, Dec. 6, 2025. A woman casts her vote at a polling station during an election, in Seme Podji, Benin, March 6, 2016. A woman casts her vote at a polling station during an election, in Seme Podji, Benin, March 6, 2016. COTONOU, Benin — Voters in Benin will vote Sunday to elect a new president as outgoing leader Patrice Talon steps down after a decade in power with a mixed legacy of economic growth, but also a growing jihadi insurgency in the north and a clamp down on the opposition and critics. Romuald Wadagni, the 49-year-old finance minister and governing coalition standard-bearer, is considered Talon’s anointed successor. Wadagni is being challenged by Paul Hounkpè, the sole opposition candidate.in January, the opposition failed to cross the 20% electoral threshold required to win seats, leaving Talon’s two allied parties in control of all 109 seats in the National Assembly and in good position before Sunday’s vote. Renaud Agbodjo, leader of The Democrats, was barred from competing after failing to secure a sufficient number of parliamentary endorsements — a threshold critics say was engineered to keep rivals out. With the main opposition sidelined, Wadagni is widely considered a favorite due in part to his strong economic track record and broad support from influential figures across historically rival camps, said Fiacre Vidjingninou, political analyst at the Lagos-based Béhanzin Institute. “Ten years at the Finance Ministry have given him something rare in African politics: a quantified record — verifiable and difficult to dismantle in a serious debate,” Vidjingninou said.The first round of the vote is set for April 12. In order to secure an outright victory, the winner would need to secure at least 50% of the votes. If that doesn’t happen, a runoff will be conducted on May 10 between the top two candidates.Wadagni is campaigning heavily on the country’s economic performance during his decade as finance minister. Benin’s economy grew 7% last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, making it one of West Africa’s steadiest performers. Under Talon, the country sustained robust growth for nearly a decade, driven by agriculture, trade and a major port expansion in the economic hub Cotonou that turned Benin into a key transit point for landlocked neighbors. Infrastructure has also expanded. However, the gains have been unequally shared, with poverty remaining widespread in rural areas and in the poorer northern region.While Benin has historically been among the most stable democracies in Africa, opposition leaders and human rights organizations have accused Talon of using the justice system as a tool to sideline his political opponents, after taking office in 2016 and changing electoral rules. In November, a constitutional reform extended presidential terms from five to seven years, established a partially presidential-appointed senate, and further raised the bar for opposition parties to enter parliament. Rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced a sustained crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tight restrictions on public demonstrations and mounting pressure on independent media outlets. Protests over the rising cost of living sprang up in recent years, but the government and security forces clamped down on them.Last December, a group of military officers attempted to topple Talon’s government in a failed coup, the latest in a series ofin its north from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger in their battle against the al-Qaida-affiliated extremist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM. The tri-border area has long been a hotbed for extremist violence, a trend worsened by the lack of security cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso, both now led by military juntas.Vidjingninou said that while the foiled coup in Benin has weakened the narrative of stability of the outgoing administration, the climate of instability might work in favor of the governing party candidate. “In a context perceived as unstable, cautious voters tend to choose continuity and familiarity over the risk of the unknown,” he said.Roch Gbenou, a civil servant living in Cotonou, said two key issues stand out for him before Sunday’s vote: Equal distribution of wealth, and restoration of democratic freedoms, which “appear to have been substantially restricted” in recent years. Gbenou, however, said that he has little hope for the election, because “it will ultimately only serve to legitimize a choice already made,” suggesting it won’t be a credible process. Mathias Salanon, a retired police officer, said that he believes Talon has done well and hopes the next president will stabilize the economic and political situations of the country. “In more than 50 years of my life I have not seen such a fierce will to develop the country as during President Patrice Talon’s 10 years,” he said. For Sofiath Akadiri, another resident of Cotonou, the most important campaign issues for her are access to health care, education and jobs.299
Patrice Talon Paul Hounkp General News International News Courts Mark Banchereau Mathias Salanon Politics Roch Gbenou Military And Defense Business Elections Rebellions And Uprisings Religion World News World News
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