Voters in Benin head to the polls this Sunday for legislative and local elections, coming just weeks after an attempted coup shook the country’s commercial capital, Cotonou.
According to RFI News, about eight million registered voters are expected to choose 109 members of parliament as well as local representatives. The elections follow several weeks of campaigning and are seen as a key test ahead of the presidential poll scheduled for April 12, 2026.
The vote will be the first nationwide election since a failed coup attempt in early December that targeted President Patrice Talon. The army said at the time that it had foiled the plot involving a group of soldiers and later confirmed that the situation was under control and the president was unharmed.
President Talon, who is serving his second and final term, will not contest the upcoming presidential election. RFI News reports that the ruling coalition has nominated Economy Minister Romuald Wadagni as its candidate, while the opposition Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) has selected Paul Hounkpè to run for the Presidency.
–ChannelAfrica–
