Benin's Finance Minister wins 94 percent in election after opposition barred

Romuald Wadagni, Benin's outgoing Finance Minister, won 94 percent of the presidential vote on April 15, 2026, in an election where major opposition candidates were barred from standing. The landslide margin has raised international questions about the legitimacy of the electoral process and democratic standards in the West African nation. Election monitoring observers and international media have scrutinized both the exclusion of opposition figures and the scale of the victory. The result marks a significant consolidation of power in Benin, a country that has positioned itself as a democratic leader in West Africa.