Benin holds presidential election with finance minister favored to win

Benin held its presidential election on Sunday, with Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni expected to succeed outgoing President Patrice Talon.

Voting took place peacefully, although some irregularities were reported at certain polling stations.

Nearly eight million eligible voters were called to the polls to choose a successor to Talon, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms.

Wadagni, who has overseen a decade of economic growth, was endorsed by Talon and is widely favored to win.

The head of the electoral commission, Sacca Lafia, confirmed that the election proceeded peacefully.

However, a civil society electoral monitoring platform reported around one hundred incident alerts, including early openings of voting stations and ballot boxes appearing full before voting began.

Voter turnout appeared low in some areas, with participation ranging between 20 and 40 percent in parts of the capital Porto-Novo.

Despite this, supporters of Wadagni emphasized the importance of voting to ensure a strong mandate.

Wadagni cast his vote in his hometown of Lokossa, while Talon was greeted by supporters in Cotonou's Zongo district.

Talon expressed optimism about Benin's future and stated his intention to retire without influencing his successor, though he acknowledged it would be difficult to fade into the background.

The sole opposition candidate, Paul Hounkpè, faced challenges securing parliamentary endorsements required to stand in the election.

He called on citizens to fulfill their duty and bring change to the country.

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