2026 Beninese presidential election

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2026 Beninese presidential election
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  2021 12 April 2026

Incumbent President

Patrice Talon
Independent



Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Benin on 12 April 2026 following parliamentary elections on 11 January in accordance with the election code. [1] [2] President Patrice Talon, currently serving his second and final constitutional term, has repeatedly stated that he does not intend to amend the constitution to seek re-election. [3]

Contents

Electoral system

The president of Benin is elected by a two-round system to a five-year term. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, the top-two candidates compete in a second round organized within fifteen days of the first round. Presidents are limited to two terms, even if they are non-successive. [4] After a constitutional amendment adopted in November 2019, each presidential candidate has to run with a vice-presidential running mate. This running mate also has a five-year term and is charged with completing the president's term in case of impeachment or other impediment. [5]

Candidates for the presidency have to be a Beninese citizen, either by birth or from having lived in Benin for the past ten years, be of "good character and great probity", have all their civil and political rights, be between the ages of 40 and 70, and submit to a physical and mental assessment by three doctors sworn in by the Constitutional Court. [4] A 2019 constitutional amendment also requires candidates to be nominated by no less than 10% of the total of Members of Parliament and Mayors, or about 16 officials. [6]

Candidates

In September 2025 the ruling coalition in the National Assembly, made up of the Progressive Union for Renewal and the Republican Bloc, nominated Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as a candidate for the elections, with Talon confirming he would not seek a third term. [7]

Declared

References

  1. "Election Observation Benin – BRIDGE" . Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  2. "2026 General Elections in BeninRéseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement". RFLD. 2 January 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 AfricaNews (6 January 2025). "Kémi Séba announces candidacy for Benin's 2026 presidential election". Africanews. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Bénin, Constitution du 11 décembre 1990, MJP". Digithèque MJP. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  5. "Le Bénin se dote d'un vice-président". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  6. "Présidentielle 2021 au Bénin: "Il n'y a aucun risque d'exclusion", Alain Orounla". Bénin Web TV. 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  7. "Benin's ruling parties pick finance minister Wadagni as presidential candidate". Reuters. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.