Polls close in Benin with finance minister expected to win election

Al Jazeera Political StrategyNews ReportEN 2 min read 100% complete by By AFP and ReutersApril 12, 2026 at 09:43 PM

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Polls close in Benin with finance minister expected to win election

AI Summary

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Polls have closed in Benin's presidential election, where Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is favored to win following endorsement from outgoing President Patrice Talon. Nearly eight million voters were eligible to vote for Talon's successor after he served two five-year terms. Wadagni is being challenged by opposition figure Paul Hounkpe. Provisional results are expected on Tuesday. Talon, who is stepping down due to term limits, expressed hope for Benin's future and stated his intention to retire without influencing his successor, while acknowledging the difficulty of completely fading from the political scene.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Talon said he intended to retire and not influence his successor.

quote — Patrice Talon100% confidence

Polls have closed in Benin's presidential election.

factual100% confidence

Nearly eight million voters were eligible to cast ballots.

statistic100% confidence

Patrice Talon is stepping down after two five-year terms as president.

factual100% confidence

Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is expected to win the election.

prediction70% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bopa 30% Yvan Glidja 30% Zongo 30% Paul Hounkpe ×260% Cotonou ×260% Patrice Talon ×680% Romuald Wadagni ×590% Benin ×3100%

Keywords

benin election 100% presidential election 90% romuald wadagni 80% patrice talon 70% voter apathy 60% paul hounkpe 50% finance minister 50% vote counting 40%