COTONOU — Benin Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni won the presidential election held Sunday with over 94% of votes, according to preliminary results based on more than 90% of ballots counted. Voter turnout stood at 58.75%.

Sacca Lafia, head of the independent electoral commission, announced the results on national television late Monday. The final results must be confirmed by Benin's constitutional court and are expected in the coming weeks.

Paul Hounkpè, the sole opposition candidate in the race, received 5.95% of the votes. Hounkpè conceded defeat ahead of the official announcement Monday.

Wadagni, who is 49 years old, will succeed President Patrice Talon, who has served as president of the West African nation since 2016 and is stepping down at the end of May 2026.

The presidential contest took place after a January parliamentary election in which opposition parties failed to meet a requirement to secure support from at least 20% of registered voters in each voting district in order to qualify for the ballot. Two parties allied with Talon won all 109 seats in the National Assembly, leaving the legislature without any opposition representation.

The composition of the new parliament shaped the presidential field. Renaud Agbodjo, leader of The Democrats, was barred from competing in Sunday's vote after failing to secure enough parliamentary endorsements to qualify as a candidate. With Agbodjo excluded from the ballot, Hounkpè was the only candidate running against Wadagni in the presidential race.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said that authorities under Talon engaged in arbitrary detentions, imposed tighter restrictions on public demonstrations, and pressured independent media outlets. The country has historically been among the most stable democracies in Africa.