Benin Holds Presidential Election Four Months After Failed Coup

Apr 12, 2026

Benin holds a presidential election on April 12, 2026, with only two candidates on the ballot for eight million eligible voters, four months after a failed military coup in December 2025 that left about 100 alleged plotters in jail. Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, 49, backed by the governing alliance that controls all 109 National Assembly seats, is favored to succeed President Patrice Talon, who is constitutionally barred after two terms that saw the economy grow 7 percent in 2025 and the national budget triple. Opposition candidate Paul Hounkpe, 56, pledges to reduce prices and release political prisoners amid accusations from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that Talon's government has cracked down on dissent. The election occurs as jihadist groups from the Sahel increasingly attack northern Benin, including a 2025 assault that killed 54 soldiers, while constitutional reforms in November 2025 extended presidential terms to seven years and raised barriers for opposition parties.

Presidential election dynamics and candidate profiles

▪Benin's presidential election on April 12, 2026 has only two candidates on the ballot.
▪Benin's Democrats party failed to get enough lawmakers to sponsor a candidate for the April 12, 2026 presidential election.
▪About eight million eligible voters will participate in Benin's April 12, 2026 presidential election.
▪Paul Hounkpe ran as a vice presidential candidate in Benin's 2021 elections.
▪Benin's presidential candidates must secure at least 50 percent of votes to win, otherwise a run-off will be held on May 10, 2026.
▪Romuald Wadagni is 49 years old and serves as Benin's finance minister.

Economic growth under Talon's administration

▪Benin's economy grew 7 percent in 2025 according to the International Monetary Fund.

Security threats from Sahel-based armed groups

▪The December 2025 coup leaders in Benin complained about the deterioration of security in northern Benin.
▪A group of military officers attempted but failed to seize power in Benin in December 2025.
▪An attack by al-Qaeda-backed Jama'at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin on Benin military posts killed 54 soldiers in 2025.

Democratic backsliding and opposition suppression

▪Benin's November 2025 constitutional reform established grounds for the president to nominate candidates to the Senate.
▪Benin's Democrats party failed to win any seats in legislative elections in January 2026.
▪A constitutional reform in Benin in November 2025 extended presidential terms from five to seven years.
▪Benin authorities shut down cost-of-living protests in April 2024.
▪Benin's November 2025 constitutional reform raised the bar for opposition parties to enter parliament.
▪Patrice Talon's two allied parties controlled all 109 seats in Benin's National Assembly after January 2026 parliamentary elections.