Benin’s Parliament Falls Fully Under Presidential Control as Ruling Alliance Sweeps All Seats

Benin’s legislative elections have delivered a decisive outcome that leaves the country’s National Assembly entirely under the control of parties aligned with President Patrice Talon.

According to provisional results released by the electoral commission, only two parties secured representation in the 109-seat assembly: the Progressive Union for Renewal with 60 seats and the Republican Bloc with 49 seats. Both parties are aligned with the president. No opposition party won parliamentary representation.

The outcome follows voting held on January 11, with results announced on Saturday. Five parties contested the election, but the main opposition group, The Democrats, failed to meet the eligibility threshold set out in Benin’s revised electoral code. Under the rules, parties must secure at least 20 percent of the national vote and 20 percent in each of the country’s 24 electoral districts to qualify for seat allocation. The Democrats reportedly obtained around 16 percent of the vote, falling short of the requirement.

The results significantly strengthen the presidential bloc ahead of Benin’s presidential election scheduled for April. While President Talon, 67, is barred from seeking another term due to term limits, his preferred successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is widely expected to run.

Opposition participation in the upcoming presidential contest also appears constrained. The Democrats have been barred from fielding a presidential candidate after failing to collect the required endorsements. The same rules excluded them from local elections held alongside the legislative vote.

Guy Mitokpe, spokesperson for The Democrats, said the results confirmed long-standing concerns about the electoral framework. He argued that the system favours parties aligned with the presidency and described the code as exclusionary, noting that his party is now absent from parliamentary, municipal, and presidential races.

Voter turnout stood at 36.7 percent, roughly in line with participation levels recorded during the 2023 legislative elections.

The vote took place just weeks after authorities said they had foiled a brief coup attempt in December. Meanwhile, a constitutional reform adopted in November extended presidential terms to seven years while maintaining a two-term limit.

With the new legislature set to convene under a single political alignment, Benin enters a new phase of governance in which legislative oversight and political competition will be closely scrutinised both domestically and regionally.

The Voice of Africa’s insight
Benin, like much of the continent, is still shaping its democratic institutions in real time. Africa’s nations are young, their political systems evolving under pressures that older democracies faced over centuries. The test ahead is whether stability can coexist with inclusion. The future of African governance will not be defined by exclusion, but by how boldly the next generation insists on participation, accountability, and renewal.

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