2026 Beninese presidential election

Common card · No. 418020

Presidential elections were held in Benin on 12 April 2026, following the 11 January parliamentary elections conducted in accordance with the national electoral code. President Patrice Talon, serving his second and final constitutional term, had maintained that he would not seek a constitutional amendment to pursue re-election. The contest, which international observers characterized as neither free nor fair, resulted in a landslide victory for Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, who officially secured more than 94% of the vote. No credible opposition candidate was allowed to be on the ballot, and the primary opposition party, the Democrats, failed to field a candidate. The election process was defined by the marginalization of the Beninese opposition. Candidates struggled to meet the legal requirement of securing endorsements from 15% of the country's members of parliament (MPs) in the National Assembly of Benin and mayors. Kémi Séba announced his candidacy in January 2025 but did not qualify...

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