April 14, 2026, 2:02 p.mApril 14, 2026, 2:02 p.m
In the West African coastal state of Benin, the previous finance minister Romuald Wadagni will be the new president.
According to preliminary results, the 49-year-old won with more than 94 percent of the vote with a voter turnout of almost 60 percent, as the electoral authority announced on Tuesday night. His only opponent had already admitted defeat. The result must be confirmed by the Constitutional Court.
Romuald Wadagni becomes the new president of Benin.Image: keystone
The financial expert Wadagni was sent into the race by incumbent Patrice Talon as his protégé and successor. After two five-year terms at the helm of Nigeria’s French-speaking neighbor, Talon himself is no longer allowed to run. Following a constitutional change, Wadagni’s term of office will now last seven years.
Under Talon, Benin’s approximately 15 million inhabitants, most of whom live from cotton and cashew cultivation, experienced considerable economic growth, but also restrictions on political freedoms. The state is also fighting against Islamist violence that is spreading in the north from Burkina Faso and Niger.
In December there was an attempted coup by a group of mutinous soldiers, which was quickly ended with military help from Nigeria. The governing coalition won all seats in the parliamentary elections in January. (dab/sda/dpa)