Polls close in Benin with finance minister expected to win election

Former President Patrice Talon has stepped down after two five-year terms.

Polls have closed in Benin, with Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni expected to emerge victorious in a presidential election after being endorsed by the former president.

Nearly eight million voters were eligible to cast ballots on Sunday to choose a successor to former President Patrice Talon, 67, who is stepping down after two five-year terms.

In Benin’s largest city, Cotonou, vote counting began late on Sunday afternoon after polling stations closed, with provisional results expected on Tuesday.

For Wadagni, 49, turnout will be a crucial factor after a lacklustre campaign affected by voter apathy.

Yvan Glidja, a man in his 30s who turned up early at a school-turned-polling station in Cotonou to vote for Wadagni, said people “must vote” to ensure Wadagni wins.

In the district of Zongo, Talon, who could not run for a third term under the constitution, was greeted by cheering supporters.

“The best is to come for Benin. My wish is to see a great and powerful Benin in which everyone finds their place,” Talon said, leaving the polling booth.

Talon added that he intended to “retire” and would not look to influence his successor, but added that “it is illusory to think that one can fade into the background”.

Wadagni is being challenged by Paul Hounkpe, an opposition figure whose campaign has needed help from majority lawmakers to gain the parliamentary endorsements required to get on the ballot.

In the town of Bopa, where he once served as mayor, Hounkpe called on “all Beninese” to “fulfil their duty… to turn a page” in the country’s history.

Under Talon, Benin has experienced rapid growth, with gross domestic product (GDP) doubling during his decade in power and numerous infrastructure projects completed. Even so, a wealth gap remains.

The winner of the vote will also face challenges with insecurity. The north of the country has increasingly experienced violence from armed fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that has spilled over from the Sahel region.