Minister of Finance of Benin and majority candidate, Romuald Wadagni was unsurprisingly elected on Monday as president of this West African country, with an overwhelming score of more than 94.05%, according to provisional results. The Independent National Electoral Commission said turnout was 58.75%.

Published on: 04/14/2026 - 02:44 Modified on: 04/14/2026 - 07:29

The victory is final. Romuald Wadagni, Beninese Minister of Finance, majority candidate and big favorite in the presidential election, was elected president of Benin. He collected 94.05% of the votes, according to provisional results based on 90% of the counted ballots, proclaimed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Cena) on the night of Monday April 13 to Tuesday April 14.

He succeeds Patrice Talon who bows out after two five-year terms, in accordance with the Constitution, during which Benin experienced an economic boom but also an increase in jihadist violence in the north and a tightening of the screw on public freedoms.

His only rival, the moderate opponent Paul Hounkpè who recognized his defeat on Monday afternoon and sent his “Republican congratulations” to the winner, obtained 5.95%.

The final results will be announced by the Constitutional Court.

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“The outcome of the vote is mathematically irreversible,” declared Sacca Lafia, president of the Cena when announcing the results. “The right to vote was able to be exercised in complete serenity on every square centimeter of our territory,” he added about the vote which was held on Sunday.

Participation amounts to 58.75% according to Cena. It was probably more significant in rural areas than in the country's two main cities, Cotonou and Porto-Novo, where most of the offices visited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) experienced low attendance.

Most observers believed that the election was a foregone conclusion, as Paul Hounkpè appeared to be a weak opponent facing the Wadagni steamroller, dubbed by the outgoing head of state and supported by the two majority parties.

Paul Hounkpè also needed the sponsorship of elected representatives of the majority to participate in the election. And the main opposition party, The Democrats, was absent from the election due to a lack of sufficient sponsorships.

A “calm poll”, according to many observers

The electoral mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed in Benin welcomed "a climate of peace" and a "good organization of the vote", in a press release.

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On Monday, the economic capital, Cotonou, had returned to its usual rhythm. The shops and businesses closed the day before due to the vote had reopened early and the city's arteries were bustling, noted an AFP journalist.

The press, for its part, sometimes mentioned "A generally calm and well-organized election", according to the Télégramme, "indications of an electoral hold-up" for Le Patriote, or a "Wadagni on the way to the Marina", the presidential palace, for Le Matin libre.

In the administrative city of Cotonou where the ministries are located, Ezéckiel Datondji, civil servant, deplored "ballot box stuffing and trends which do not reflect the true face of the election with polling stations remaining empty all day".

If the Cena welcomed a peaceful vote, the electoral monitoring platform set up by civil society reported incidents on Sunday with polling stations having opened early and ballot boxes sometimes already filled before opening.

Read alsoPresidential election in Benin: Patrice Talon, from “golden-boy” to omnipotent head of state

In addition to the security issue in the north, one of Romuald Wadagni's main challenges will be to continue the country's economic transformations by making growth more inclusive. One of the axes of his program concerns the fight against poverty, estimated at 30%, at a time when many Beninese complain of not benefiting from the fruits of growth.

With AFP

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