Romuald Wadagni, Benin Republic’s minister of finance, has secured a landslide victory in the country’s presidential election, with more than 94 percent of the votes, according to provisional results.
Sacca Lafia, head of the country’s independent electoral commission, announced the results late Monday night on national television.
Lafia said voter turnout for the election stood at 58.78 percent.
Before the results were announced, Paul Hounkpè, the sole opposition candidate, conceded defeat.
Hounkpè had said he would accept the result depending on the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.
His concession eliminates obstacles in Wadagni’s path to succeed President Patrice Talon.
Wadagni’s victory was anticipated after the opposition failed to cross the 20 percent threshold required to win seats in the January parliamentary election, leaving Talon’s two allied parties in control of all 109 seats in the national assembly.
The 49-year-old has touted the country’s economic growth during his decade as finance minister as his key strength.
Last year, Benin’s economy grew by seven percent, making it one of West Africa’s steadiest performers.
On Sunday, when the presidential polls took place, Talon said he was “leaving office with the feeling of having given my best, of having led the country to take some steps forward in all areas”.
“Whatever the outcome of the vote, Benin has reached a milestone in its history,” the president added.
Though largely democratic, Benin’s stability has been tested in recent times.
In September 2024, prosecutors said they foiled a suspected coup attempt. Olivier Boko, businessman and Talon’s longtime friend who was eyeing the president’s office, was reportedly in on the plot.
Last December, a group of military officers attempted to topple Talon’s government but failed after Nigeria’s intervention.
A month before the attempted coup, lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment extending the presidential term to seven years.
