As the counting of votes progressed after Sunday’s presidential election, the Head of the ECOWAS Observation Mission, Ghana’s ex-President Nana Akufo-Addo, has called on Beninese citizens and political actors to maintain their peaceful and orderly disposition on voting day, even after the announcement of the poll results.
He commended the operation and professionalism of the electoral officials, noting that in many instances they arrived well before the official start time for voting, thereby correcting the lateness experienced at some polling centres during the April 11 Parliamentary and Municipal elections.
He said that while political participation and voter turnout might be an issue, the generally peaceful and incident-free balloting “is very important, given the violence that often marred elections in Africa and globally.
The Head of Mission also led his delegation to visit the ECOWAS Election Situation Room in Cotonou, which is coordinating returns from ECOWAS observers in the field.
Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, who leads a technical support team to the Mission, represented the Head of Mission to observe the closing and counting of votes at the polling unit in Cadjehoun Quarters, where the Mission observed the opening of balloting.
They also visited the election operations Centre of the Civil Society Electoral Platform, coordinated by the West Africa Network for Peace-building (WANEP).
The electoral law allows the National Electoral Commission, CENA, a maximum of two weeks to release the final results of the presidential election, which must be certified by the Constitutional Court, which has the final say in such matters.
However, the Commission can announce preliminary results within 48 hours of the conclusion of voting.
A candidate requires 50%+1 vote to win the presidency, or the two front-runners go into a run-off vote. This might not be necessary this time, with only two candidates in the race.
The Benin presidential election took place amid far-reaching constitutional reforms and a drastic reduction in the number of political parties, with the opposition alleging exclusion and a shrinking of civic space.
Romuald Wadagni, the Minister of Finance for 10 years, is the presidential candidate of the ruling Coalition, while Paul Hounkpè, Culture Minister under former President Yayi Boni, is the flag-bearer of the opposition Cowry Forces.
Whoever emerges victorious between the two candidates will succeed outgoing President Patrice Talon, who is completing the mandatory two terms of five years each, allowed by the Constitution.
Under the reforms, the president of the republic’s tenure has been increased from five to seven years, while the legislature will now have a second chamber, the Senate, and a 109-seat elected Parliament.
CENA registered 7.8 million voters for the 2026 elections, and it is the first time that registered Beninese voters in the Diaspora, estimated at 63,000 would vote.
