Benin Presidential Race: Wadagni Seen as Likely Winner

Benin’s finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, is widely anticipated to secure victory following support from President Patrice Talon, who is leaving office. With only one competitor, Paul Hounkpe, the outcome appears largely predetermined. Polling stations closed across the West African nation on Sunday as voters cast their ballots, with Wadagni expected to dominate the results.

Approximately eight million eligible voters participated in the presidential race, selecting a replacement for Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after completing two five-year terms and surviving a December coup attempt. Talon has endorsed his 49-year-old finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, for the upcoming administration. In his tenure, Wadagni guided the country through a decade of economic expansion exceeding 6% annually, a track record he has vowed to extend.

President Patrice Talon’s support for Wadagni has been pivotal, but the opposition Democrats party withdrew from the race after their leader, Renaud Agbodjo, couldn’t secure enough parliamentary backing to qualify for the ballot. The remaining candidate is Paul Hounkpe, representing the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin. Despite his limited public presence, Hounkpe contends that economic growth under Talon and Wadagni hasn’t translated into tangible benefits for the general population.

“We are going to move forward, go even further with what began before your very eyes,” he told supporters in Cotonou.

“If we make progress but none of us can afford three meals a day, we haven’t made any progress. Yes or no?” he said at a rally earlier this month.

Benin has maintained a reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies, though some accuse the electoral rules of being designed to exclude Talon’s opponents. International observers, including ECOWAS, African Union, and EU delegations, were deployed to oversee the process. The ECOWAS team was led by former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who expressed hope that “a maximum of Beninese will come out to make their choice today” to AFP.

Ballots are set to close at 4 p.m. local time, with final results projected within 48 hours. The election marks a critical transition as Talon’s legacy faces scrutiny and Wadagni aims to build on it.