2026 presidential election in Benin: 5 candidacy files registered by CENA

The Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA) officially closed the candidate filing period for the presidential election scheduled for April 12, 2026, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

At the end of the deadline, five candidate pairs were registered. The candidates selected at this stage are: Romuald Wadagni and Mariam Chabi Talata, Prince Anatole Ouinsavi and Agathe Bello, Paul Hounkpè and Judicaël Hounwanou, Renaud Agbodjo and Bonaventure Lodjou, and Élisabeth Agbossaga and Boni Néto Gansaré.

CENA will begin reviewing the candidate files in the coming days to verify their compliance with the requirements of the Electoral Code.

Candidate pairs whose files are missing documents will have 72 hours from the date of notification to provide the required materials.

The publication of the provisional list of accepted candidacies is scheduled for October 26, 2025, while the Constitutional Court will publish the final list of presidential candidates on Friday, October 31, 2025.