Romuald Wadagni Elected President in Benin
Officials announced a landslide victory for the finance minister, who was widely viewed as the preferred successor.
Benin Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni won the country's presidential election with more than 94% of votes, according to election officials.
The result had been widely expected because Wadagni was viewed as the favored successor to President Patrice Talon, who is leaving office after a decade in power.
The election is an important political moment for Benin, a West African country that has often been watched as an example of democratic stability in the region. At the same time, opposition voices and outside observers have raised questions in recent years about political space and electoral competition.
Wadagni now faces the task of turning a strong election result into a broader sense of public trust, both inside Benin and among international partners.