Benin’s ruling coalition has nominated Economy and Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni (49) as its candidate for the presidential election scheduled for April 2026.
Wadagni is a close ally of current President Patrice Talon, who announced last March that he would not seek a third term. He is widely credited as one of the key architects of Benin’s economic reforms.
Educated in France and the United States, Wadagni worked as an executive director at Deloitte before being appointed minister in 2016.
His main challenger is expected to be the candidate from the Democrats Party, led by former president Thomas Boni Yayi—setting the stage for a contest between continuity and political change.
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