Romuald Wadagni has been officially confirmed as the winner of Benin’s presidential election following the validation of final results by the country’s Constitutional Court.
The court on Thursday upheld the provisional tally released last week, confirming that Wadagni, widely seen as the chosen successor of outgoing president Patrice Talon, secured a landslide victory in the April 12 vote.
Many observers had described the election outcome as largely predictable, given the limited participation of opposition candidates.
Teacher and former minister Paul Hounkpe was the only opposition figure on the ballot. Meanwhile, the main opposition party, The Democrats, was unable to participate after failing to secure the required number of sponsorships to field a candidate.
Announcing the decision at the court’s headquarters, Constitutional Court President Cossi Dorothe Sossa declared Wadagni the duly elected leader of the country.
“The court hereby definitively declares Mr. Kossi Mbueke Romuald Wadagni elected president of the Republic, and Ms. Mariam Chabi Talata vice president,” Sossa said.
He added that Wadagni will formally assume office on Sunday, May 24.
The court stated that it found no irregularities capable of invalidating the electoral process and noted that no formal challenges were filed against the provisional results.
While the final vote totals and turnout figures were not disclosed during the announcement, provisional results had earlier indicated that Wadagni won about 94 percent of the vote with a voter turnout of roughly 58.8 percent.
Hounkpe, who secured just under six percent of the vote, conceded defeat even before the official confirmation was announced.
Wadagni’s victory signals continuity with the policies of the Talon administration. During his decade-long tenure as finance minister, Benin’s public finances were significantly restructured, with the fiscal deficit reduced by roughly a third to about three percent of gross domestic product.
The country has also experienced notable economic growth during that period, alongside investments in tourism development and the completion of several infrastructure projects.
Despite these gains, the incoming administration faces pressing challenges, including widening wealth inequality and security concerns in northern Benin, where attacks attributed to jihadist groups have raised fears about regional stability.
