Benin’s opposition loses all parliamentary seats, provisional results show

In Benin's January 11th legislative elections, the ruling alliance of President Patrice Talon secured all 109 seats in the National Assembly, according to provisional results announced on January 18, 2026. The Progressive Union for Renewal and the Republican Bloc, both aligned with Talon, met the requirements of the new electoral code, which mandates a minimum of 20% of the national vote and in each of the 24 electoral districts to be eligible for seat allocation. The main opposition party, The Democrats, failed to meet this threshold. These results strengthen the presidential bloc's position ahead of the upcoming presidential election in April, where Talon is term-limited. The Democrats are also barred from participating in the presidential polls due to failing to gather enough signatures to register, as well as being sidelined from local elections.

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories