Benin's finance minister wins presidential election with over 94% of the vote

Wadagni, 49, was the favored successor to outgoing president Patrice Talon and was backed by the governing coalition. His victory signals a continuation of the previous administration's policies, which saw significant economic growth, increased tourism, and infrastructure development in the West African nation. Turnout for the election was nearly 60%.

Paul Hounkpe, Wadagni's sole opponent, conceded defeat, stating, "Democracy requires mutual respect and the ability to rise above partisan divides." While an electoral monitoring platform reported some complaints of ballot boxes appearing full prematurely, the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS observed the election as peaceful. ECOWAS noted "isolated practices" such as ballot box stuffing and attempted vote-buying, but concluded these were insufficient to undermine the election's credibility.

Despite the economic growth, Benin faces challenges including a significant wealth gap, with the poverty rate estimated at over 30%, and insecurity in the north due to attacks attributed to jihadist groups. Wadagni, who served as finance minister for 10 years, is credited with improving public finances and reducing the deficit. The constitutional court is expected to announce the final results later this week.

The next presidential elections a