49-year-old Wadagni emerges president-elect of Benin

The 49-year-old technocrat Romuald Wadagni has emerged as the clear favourite to take over from President Patrice Talon, who personally supported him as his chosen successor, with both parties in the governing coalition also backing his candidacy. 

He went into the race with strong political support and faced only one minor challenger, Paul Hounkpe, who ran a quiet campaign and later accepted defeat even while vote counting was still ongoing.

In his concession statement, Hounkpe said, “To… Romuald Wadagni, I offer my republican congratulations. Democracy requires mutual respect and the ability to rise above partisan divides,” marking a calm end to the contest.

Benin’s independent electoral commission, CENA, announced he had secured more than 94 percent of the vote in provisional results overnight from Monday to Tuesday, based on 90 percent of votes counted.

The constitutional court is expected to announce the final results from Sunday’s election later in the week.

CENA and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the election had been peaceful and had run smoothly.

– No surprise –

Newspaper Le Patriote, however, saw “signs of an electoral heist” and an electoral monitoring platform reported complaints of ballot boxes appearing full before the start of voting.

The electoral commission said turnout was nearly 60 percent.

The main opposition Democrats party failed to secure the required parliamentary endorsements to field a candidate.

Hounkpe needed the endorsement of several majority lawmakers to get on the ballot paper.

“The results are no surprise,” said legal practitioner Hilaire Okounde. “Wadagni had no opposition. He could have got 99 percent.”

“The public has opted for continuity in modernisation, sound management and a commitment to development,” said Augustin Salanon, a port official who supported Talon’s anointed successor.

Democrats activist Astrid Kounouho said: “I’m not pleased with this result but the fact is that Romuald Wadagni is now the president-elect.”

“As a member of the opposition, I contest the conditions under which this election took place, the lack of political openness and the absence of genuine pluralism.

“But the country is greater than our differences and we expect him to govern for everyone,” she said.

Alimata, a lock seller in the Gbegemey neighbourhood of Cotonou, took a pragmatic view.

“If this election or Wadagni’s arrival can change our lives, we shall be happy but for now, we have to find a way to feed the family,” he told AFP.

– Challenges ahead –

Talon, who has run Benin since 2016, is standing down after two five-year terms.

This was Wadagni’s first run at elected office.

Under his 10-year stint as finance minister, Benin’s public finances have been cleaned up and the deficit cut by a third to reach three percent of GDP.

With growth averaging more than six percent over the decade, Wadagni and Benin have won the backing of international investors.

As president “he will follow in the continuity of what has been done”, political analyst Franck Kinninvo said.

Major challenges remain.

The poverty rate is estimated at more than 30 percent and many people have not felt the benefits of economic growth.

Benin’s development will also depend on security, which requires dealing with violence in the north attributed mainly to Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

The next elections are not until 2033 because a constitutional reform has extended the presidential term to seven years.

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